The Peoples Of The British Isles: A New History From 1688 to 1914

The new edition of The Peoples of the British Isles presents the history of the peoples of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales from prehistoric times to the present. Through the frameworks of cultural, intellectual, and social history, the authors examine the conflicts and commonalities among the people of these four nations. The book focuses throughout on the lives of real people how they made a living, how they organized their society and institutions, how they related to each other, and how they understood themselves and their world.

This volume covers the period following the Revolution of 1688 through the build up to the First World War. Beginning with the formation of the British nation-state, Heyck and Veldman follow the spread of English cultural influence and power to the Celtic peoples and beyond.

MAJOR THEMES COVERED in this volume include: formation of the British nation-state; expansion of the British Empire; the demographic, agricultural, and industrial revolutions; shift from a society of orders to a class society; evolving gender roles; interplay of international warfare and domestic political change.

FEATURES of the new edition: New chapters 18-22 extend the scope of this volume to include the late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, and the lead-up to World War I; Full and fair treatment of the Celtic countries of the British Isles and their interactions and conflicts with England; Fully incorporated, expanded coverage of popular culture, including new sections on the intersection of commercialism and culture; discussions of the work of Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and George Eliot; and a discussion about the popularity of pleasure gardens; Fully incorporated, expanded coverage of women's issues including a discussion of the role of women in the revolts against Highland Clearances, and differences in legal status between women of the four nations; Expanded map program and updated suggested readings throughout