British History 1815-1914

This fully revised and updated edition of Norman McCord's authoritative introduction to nineteenth-century British history has been extended to cover the period up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The authors chart the development of a modern state equipped with a large and expanding bureaucracy, the expansion of overseas territories into one of the world's greatest empires, and changes in religion, social attitudes, and culture.

British History 1815-1914, Second Edition, divides the era into four chronological periods, with chapters on the political background, administrative development, and social, economic, and cultural changes in each period. This new edition explores such major themes as the massive increase in population, the question of class, the scope of state activity, and the development of consumerism, leisure, and entertainment. Featuring a select bibliography and biographical appendix, this volume provides the ultimate introduction to British history between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War.

Norman McCord is Emeritus Professor of Social History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Bill Purdue was Reader in British History at the Open University and is now a Senior Visiting Lecturer.