The city of Oxford has a long and prosperous history. First mentioned by name in 912 as one of the "burghs," or fortified places that King Alfred and his descendants had constructed to protect Wessex from the Vikings, Oxford has played a significant part in many of the great historical events that have shaped the country. In the 12th century the University of Oxford began to take shape, establishing the city as a center of learning, which remains today. Oxford At Work explores the life of this "City of Dreaming Spires" and its people. In a fascinating series of contemporary photographs and illustrations it takes us from the founding of St Frideswide's nunnery in the sixth century and the emergence of its university in the late 12th century--the first in the English-speaking world--through its growth and development as one of the country's leading centers of education, science, publishing, and motor manufacturing, to its current status as one of the fastest growing and ethnically diverse cities in the UK.