Modern Britain, 1750 to the Present: 4 (Cambridge History of Britain, Series Number 4) - Softcover

Vernon, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107686008 ISBN 13: 9781107686007

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2017

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

'Driven by an emphasis on the profound effects of free trade liberalism, James Vernon's Modern Britain covers vast ground. In lively and accessible prose he charts a coherent narrative of modern Britain attentive to the effects of the world beyond its shores. Vernon does not flinch from portraying the violence underpinning liberalism, and his insistence on writing Britain's history in a global frame is a welcome addition to the field.' Philippa Levine, University of Texas, Austin

'James Vernon's book is at once a powerful reinterpretation of British history and a compelling and comprehensive survey accessible to students from a diversity of backgrounds.' Chris Hilliard, University of Sydney

'What we have long waited for ... a beautifully written and illustrated textbook that deftly synthesizes several decades of new research to demonstrate how global forces created and recreated the polity we know as Modern Britain. Taking us on a lively journey that ends with an assessment of the Brexit vote, Vernon provides students and anyone interested in modern history with a fascinating portrait of how liberal political economy shaped the nation state and empire, society and urban life, the family and citizenship, and bodies and identities.' Erika Rappaport, University of California, Santa Barbara

'This is an outstandingly good book. The writing is excellent, crisp and concise, giving sufficient information and explanations of terms. The timelines are very useful, and biographies and sources reinforce the analysis in each chapter. The book is animated throughout by a tremendous analytical coherence and argumentative energy. This is likely to stand as the most up-to-date, interesting and usable textbook for modern Britain courses.' Robert Travers, Cornell University, New York

'This is a wonderful achievement by a historian at the peak of his abilities. Amidst a scholarship that has becoming increasingly specialised James Vernon has produced a powerful work of synthesis and reinterpretation, and he has done so in a clear and accessible manner. This is a textbook that will guide new students through the subject, but it offers too a powerful thesis about that nature of liberal political economy that will challenge all historians of the period to debate just how and when Britain became modern.' Matthew Hilton, Queen Mary University of London

'This book does an excellent job of weaving together the political, cultural, and social history of the period from 1750 to the present. Vernon consistently attacks some of the prevailing, complacent myths of British history, in particular in relation to the Empire ... [he] insists that Britain did not merely shape the world, but the world also shaped Britain, undermining nationalist accounts of British great power influence. One of the book's great strengths as a textbook is its political engagement ... it constructs a densely woven account of the political, social, and cultural history of Britain since 1975, placing Britain in its global context and remaining at all times politically engaged.' Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Twentieth Century British History

Book Description:

A wide-ranging introduction to the history of modern Britain, from 1750 to the present day. James Vernon examines the rise, fall and revival of liberalism, with economic and imperial history at the centre. An essential resource for introductory courses on the history of modern Britain.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1107686008
• ISBN 13: 9781107686007
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 588