The Peoples of the British Isles. From 1870 to the Present

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 leading up to the First World War through present day Britain.

Major themes covered in this volume include:

• the expansion and decline of the British empire placed in the context of the changing global economic order
• the wide-ranging impact of total war
• cultural and economic history of the welfare state
• the emerging fluidity of “Britishness” in a period of mass immigration and political devolution

• 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 including sections on Thatcher's First Government, The Big Bang of 1986, and Thatcher's industrial policies in the context of global post-industrialization
• New discussions on Post-Thatcher Britain including sections on Blair's Britain, the economic collapse of 2008, and emerging Islamism
• Fully incorporated, expanded coverage of popular culture including discussions of Tolkien, pop art, rock and roll, and television soap operas
• Fully incorporated, expanded coverage of women's issues including updated look at changes in women's roles during and after the wars, the impact of the “permissive society” and consumerism on gender roles
• expanded map program and suggested readings throughout