In this, the second edition of A Social History of England, Francois Bédarida has added a new final chapter on the last fifteen years. The book now traces the evolution of English society from the height of the British Empire to the dawn of the single European market. Making full use of the Annales school of French historiography, Bédarida takes his inquiry beyond conventional views to penetrate the attitudes, behaviour and psychology of the British people.
Britain’s role in the mid-nineteenth century as the world’s greatest economic power was an extraordinary phenomenon, foreshadowed in the Industrial Revolution of the century before and originating from a unique combination of global and indigenous factors. In this study François Crouzet analyses the growth and – in late Victorian Britain – decline of the nation’s economy, drawing on an immense amount of quantitative data to examine and explain its development. The book begins with a macroeconomic survey of the period, reviewing broad fluctuations in economic growth and the question of the ‘mid-Victorian boom’, structural changes in the balance of the economy, demographic movements, capital formation and the influence of Free Trade. Professor Crouzet then goes on to look in detail at the different sectors of the economy, assessing the effects of the relative decline of agriculture against industry, the growth of the tertiary sector, the rise of new industries such as armaments and the transport revolution. His final chapter analyses the reality of and reasons for Britain’s subsequent decline as a world economic superpower. This study, first published in 1982, draws together a wide range of material and provides an invaluable framework for the understanding of a complex and richly-documented period.
This will help us customize your experience to showcase the most relevant content to your age group
Please select from below
Login
Not registered?
Sign up
Already registered?
Success – Your message will goes here
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.