For many, the late 18th century was a period of political corruption awaiting for the triumph of reform. In this lucidly written study, now in a revised edition, John Derry shows that the traditional political system was more remarkable for its resilience

A critical introduction to the mass political movements that came of age in urban England between the Great Reform Act of 1832 and the start of World War One. Roberts provides a guide to the new approaches to topics such as Chartism, parliamentary reform, Gladstonian Liberalism, popular Conservatism and the independent Labour movement.

This book is a lively and accessible study of English religious life during the century of the Reformation. It draws together a wide range of recent research and makes extensive use of colourful contemporary evidence. The author explores the involvement of ordinary people within, alongside and beyond the church, covering topics such as liturgical practice, church office, relations with the clergy, festivity, religious fellowships, cheap print, 'magical' religion and dissent. The result is a distinctive interpretation of the Reformation as it was experienced by English people, and the...

Historians, like politicians, thrive in crises. Was there really a crisis in England between 1545 and 1565, or is this just a way of describing a period in history when a lot of interesting things where happening?

In reality the twenty years from 1545 to 1565 contained no more elements of crisis than other comparable periods. There were crises: a brief, but serious collapse of the overseas cloth trade in 1551-52, and a confused royal succession in 1553. Inflation began to be a problem in about 1545, and remained so for the remainder of the century. The Church had already undergone a major...

This volume examines the main themes in Welsh history from the coming of the Normans in the eleventh century and their impact on Welsh society and politics to the fall of the Duke of Buckingham, the last great marcher magnate, in 1521. It also looks at the part played by the leaders of the native Welsh community in the years after the conquest of 1282-3. This is one of the less familiar aspects of the medieval history of the British Isles, but one in which there has been an increasing interest in recent years

Wales lost its independence in 1282. Owain Glyn Dwr led a revolt in the early...

Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, remains one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures in British political history. He was the romantic radical, who went on to lead the Conservative party; the urban, middle class Jew, who identified himself with a ruling elite based on the aristocracy, land and Anglicanism. This study of Disraeli seeks to provide a balanced coverage of the whole of his career, giving equal weight to the long period spent as leader of the opposition, as well as examining his rise to the Conservative leadership and his subsequent record as Prime Minister. An...

A critique of Anglo-American relations in the twentieth century in the light of the most recent research.
It challenges many existing interpretations and argues that the basis of the Anglo-American special relationship was laid by Roosevelt and Chamberlain, that Roosevelt preferred Stalin to Churchill, and that the origins of the Cold War should be seen as a British education of the Americans to the Soviet threat. Suez is reassessed following the recent release of material in the Eisenhower Library. There is a consideration of the relationship of 'mutual interdependence' and why Wilson...

The sudden demise of arguably the world's greatest empire in the years following the Second World War was a momentous event in global history. After nearly four centuries of colonial activity, the British relinquished their empire in a little more than twenty years.
In this comprehensive new survey, David McIntyre narrates the sequence of decolonisation, summarises the historical controversies surrounding its causes, and considers what was distinctive about the way events unfolded. The author argues that although colonial self-government had a long pedigree going back to the American...

The first new biography of Oliver Cromwell in several years, this rounded account does equal justice to his public and private life, to his political career, his military abilities and his passionate religiosity. Ian Gentles synthesizes much recent research including Cromwell's activity as a lay preacher, his patronage of the arts and his promotion of horsebreeding. Gentles also provides fresh findings on Cromwell's pay as a soldier, his personal enrichment as general and lord protector, his little-known erotic side, and his astonishing generosity in the cause of international Protestantism....

A thematic survey of the impact of crusading on Britain and Ireland, from the First Crusade to the end of the thirteenth century. Hurlock examines the relationship between high medieval British society and crusading, exploring key areas such as the political use of crusades, the papacy's choice of crusaders, and the role of the military orders.