In this pioneering work about the precursor to the comic book, Kelly Boyd traces the evolution of the boys' story paper and its impact on the imaginative world of working-class readers. From the penny dreadful and the Boy's Own Paper to the tales of Billy Bunter and Sexton Blake, this cultural form shaped ideas about gender, race, class, and empire in response to social change.

The Victorian Studies Reader gathers together, in one volume, some of the key pieces on Victorian history, society and culture. The book draws on new trends in looking at the Victorian Age and includes sections on:

• periodization
• politics
• consumerism
• intellectual Life
• sexuality
• empire.

The Victorian Studies Reader is a rich resource, essential for all those studying this important period of history.

Selected as an 'Outstanding Academic Title' in the 2008 CHOICE awards, The Victorian Studies Reader gathers together, in one volume, some of the key pieces on Victorian history, society and culture. The book draws on new trends in looking at the Victorian Age and includes sections on:

• periodization
• politics
• consumerism
• intellectual life
• sexuality
• empire.

The Victorian Studies Reader is a rich resource, essential for all those studying this important period of history.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.