This biography of the 3rd Viscount Palmerston provides a compelling insight into a man of contradictions whose public life personified 19th century Britain. In spite of his aristocratic roots and playboy image, Palmerston identified himself with the people, becoming their natural spokesperson and the country's "most English minister." Taking into account recent scholarship and revisionist approaches, Paul R. Ziegler authoritatively reassesses the life of this well-known British political figure, demonstrating that in facing new challenges Palmerston adjusted himself to the times and helped to...

The potato famine of 1845-51 was a pivotal event in the development of modern Ireland. No aspect of Irish life was untouched by the crisis. Kinealy offers not just a general history of the famine, but an illuminating exploration of aspects which have received little attention, including the rise in crime, the food export controversy, the role of religion, the growth of the Orange order, and the impact of the uprising in 1848.

Scottish Nationality offers a full survey of the events and issues in the formation of Scottish identity from the earliest times. It is both a summary history of Scotland as a nation and a study of the development of national feeling in Scotland, not only dealing with the growth of the Scottish National Party, but also exploring the nature of Scottish patriotic feeling within the Union. The book examines Scotland's relationship with England and the wider world in order to put Scotland in context within the new British history and the new Britain itself. As for the future, ...