In what has established itself as a classic study of Britain from the late eighteenth century to the mid-Victorian period, Eric J. Evans explains how the country became the world’s first industrial nation. His book also explains how, and why, Britain was able to lay the foundations for what became the world’s largest empire. Over the period covered by this book, Britain became the world’s most powerful nation and arguably its first super-power.Economic opportunity and imperial expa...

Sir Robert Peel provides an accessible and concise introduction to the life and career of one of the most political leaders of the nineteenth century. Perhaps best known for seeing through the Repeal of the Corn Laws, Peel had an enormous impact on political life of his age and beyond. Eric J. Evans reassesses Peel's career, arguing that although Peel's executive and administrative strengths were great, his arrogance, lack of empathy with the development of political parties and h...

This revised, expanded and updated fourth edition of Thatcher and Thatcherism examines the origins and impact of ‘Thatcherism’ both as a cultural construct and an economic creed from the 1970s to the formation of a coalition government in 2010. New to this edition is an extended exploration of Thatcher’s impact outside of the UK, as well as an examination of the assessments published following her death in 2013, providing students with a greater understanding of the legacy of That...

The 1832 Reform Act was a watershed in the history of modern Britain, profoundly affecting the composition of parliament and the course of all subsequent legislation.This new edition of The Great Reform Act of 1832 extends and updates Eric J. Evans's classic account of the crucial political and economic issues and:* highlights the travails of Toryism at the end of the 1820s* clarifies complex questions of policy* shows the connections between the Refo...

In the years1815-1832, Britain came close to revolution. Fewer than twenty years separate the Battle of Waterloo from the passing of the ‘Great’ Reform Act but during this period Britain’s political elite was challenged as never before. In rising to that challenge, the political elite attempted, with considerable success, to ensure that Britain engineered that most perilous of transitions, from a less complex and more deferential society into a modern urban and industrial one, while avodin...

Covers the momentous reforms in the British electoral system during the period from the Great Reform Act of 1832 to 1918 when women were given the vote. The study charts the series of Reform Acts right through the period, involving rather more attention to those important changes in the 1880s which are often underplayed.

First published in 1978, this book gathers an extensive range of documents which illuminate the complex and important process by which the State in Britain has taken on increased responsibility for the health and welfare of its citizens. It uses extracts from a variety of sources, including reports, debates, speeches, articles and reviews, and commentary from leading figures of the period, such as Disraeli, Dickens, Edwin Chadwick and Churchill.The book begins with a discussion of ...

The theme of Professor Evan's book is the growth of a recognizable modern party system from the much looser and often family-based attachments of the eighteenth century. He examines the significance of the terms 'Whig' and 'Tory' in the later eighteenth century and the growth of a party aligment between 1788 and 1812 - a period in which war was a major factor in polarization. He discusses the years of Tory hegemony under Liverpool and the decline of the independent member, and then takes a...

William Pitt the Younger re-examines Pitt's career in the light of recent research and emphasizes that it should not be stereotyped as having a `reformist' phase in the years to 1793 and a `reactionary' phase thereafter.His treatment includes explanation of:* Pitt's rapid rise to power* the importance of his relations with George III* contemporary party politics, including his own description of himself as an `independent Whig'* his administrat...

First published in 1976, this book studies the impact of a uniquely unpopular tax on English rural communities. It examines the tithe system during a period when it was subject to mounting attack from political economists, agricultural improvers and radicals alike. Professor Evans has made extensive use of ecclesiastical and estate records to explain why the tithe issue became so unpopular at this time. He also studies in detail the work of the tithe commission, offering new evidence on th...

It has been thousands of years since beast-kind were united under one banner.The empire encompasses most of the known world, driving out or enslaving the lesser races without mercy. In a state of constant war and conquest, they have perfected the art of battle.For commoner wolf-kind Valian, being accepted and trained in a noble house's army was a dream come true. Without wealth or a family, it was his best shot at attaining honor and glory. Until fate inter...

Emilia is defeated, and the Eastern Territories are once again safe from the corruption of dark magic—but all actions have consequences.While his home rebuilds, Valian finds himself in chains, headed to the imperial capital, Soltar. There, he's to either die in the sands of the arena or stand trial for the death of an imperial princess.Not all is as it seems, though. A dark shadow moves while corruption eats away at the heart of the greatest city in the emp...