This wide-ranging introduction to the history of modern Britain extends from the eighteenth century to the present day. James Vernon's distinctive history is weaved around an account of the rise, fall and reinvention of liberal ideas of how markets, governments and empires should work. The history takes seriously the different experiences within the British Isles and the British Empire, and offers a global history of Britain. Instead of tracing how Britons made the modern world, Vernon shows how the world shaped the course of Britain's modern history. Richly illustrated with figures and maps, the book features textboxes (on particular people, places and sources), further reading guides, highlighted key terms and a glossary. A supplementary online package includes additional primary sources, discussion questions, and further reading suggestions, including useful links. This textbook is an essential resource for introductory courses on the history of modern Britain.
Informative and well-structured. Managed to capture the evolvement of liberal political economy in Britain very well with additional sources like textboxes, pictures and graphs to highlight it. It furthermore has a great index, glossary and large overviews of additional readings to every topic. Definitely recommended if one is curious about the subject matter.
A deeply fulfilling book on Britain's modern history. Easy enough to jump in and out of at the time period of your choosing, but I would suggest anyone who wants to see the change and continuity of politics, economics, as well as societal and cultural developments read from the start.