Reseña

This authoritative Companion to eighteenth-century Britainincludes essays by nearly forty experts from the UK, Europe, theUnited States and Canada. It introduces students, teachers andgeneral readers to the developments that led to Britain becoming agreat world power, the leading European imperial state, and, at thesame time, the most economically and socially advanced, politicallyliberal and religiously tolerant nation in Europe. The volume examines political developments including thefounding of the constitution and political system in 1688 and thedevelopment of the party political system. It describes economicand social developments in the towns and country which signalledthe advent of ‘modern’ society and the culturaladvances in the arts, philosophy and the press which greatlyinterested other European nations. The book also reminds readersthat religion remained a powerful force and preoccupationthroughout this period and covers the discussions over religioustolerance. There is also a section on the creation of the UnitedKingdom from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland and the seriousdivisions that still remained. Finally, the book reveals howBritain became a world power, developing and then losing one empirein America but soon acquiring another in India. This Companion is based on recent research and clearlypresents the current state of knowledge and interpretation,demonstrating why this period has recently attracted new scholarlyinitiatives and historical enquiries.