Publisher's Synopsis
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 new, combined volume covers the period following the Revolution of 1688 and the coronation of William of Orange through present day Britain. Heyck and Veldman deftly explore the British Isles' changing place in the world, and the implications of those changes for its people. Major themes covered in this volume include the formation of the British nation-state and the evolution of British national identity the emergence, expansion, and decline of the British Empire in the context of a changing global economic order Britain's rise as the world's foremost industrial power and its subsequent economic decline and adaption the interplay of international warfare and domestic political change the implications of Britain's changing roles in the world for social identities and gender roles Features of the new edition: new format combines what was once volume II and III into one single volume Full and fair treatment of the Celtic countries of the British Isles and their interactions and conflicts with England Expanded discussion on Thatcher's Britain and new discussions on Post-Thatcher Britain including sections on Blair's Britain, the economic collapse of 2008, and the challenge of Islamism 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 discussions of pop art, rock and roll, and television soap operas Fully incorporated, expanded coverage of women's issues including a discussion of the role of women in the revolts against Highland Clearances; differences in legal status between women of the four nations; an updated look at changes in women's roles during and after the wars; the impact of the "permissible society" and consumerism on gender roles expanded map program and suggested readings throughout.
