George W.M. Reynolds (1814–79) was one of the biggest-selling novelists of the Victorian era. He was the author of over 58 novels and short stories and his "penny blood" The Mysteries of London, serialised in weekly numbers between 1844 and 1848, sold over a million copies. A controversial figure in his lifetime, Reynolds's Mysteries, and its follow-up The Mysteries of the Court of London (1849–56), contained tales of crime, vice, and highly sexualised scenes. For this reason Charles Dicke...

A history of the common people and the Industrial Revolution: "A true masterpiece" and one of the Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the twentieth century ( Tribune) .During the formative years of the Industrial Revolution, English workers and artisans claimed a place in society that would shape the following centuries. But the capitalist elite did not form the working class—the workers shaped their own creation...

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

The author's biography is included in this version.The Life of General William Booth by Harold Begbie presents the biography of William Booth, a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation Army and became its first General. The Christian movement with a quasi-military structure and government founded in 1865 has spread from London, England to many parts of the world and is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid.

"Compelling." The Guardian"An insightful and inspiring history." BBC History Magazine"A tantalising revelatory book." The House"Brisk and illuminating." Times Literary Supplement"A damn good read." Morning Star"Wonderful." The ChartistUncontrollable Women is a history of radi...

Aristocratic Vice examines the outrage against—and attempts to end—the four vices associated with the aristocracy in eighteenth-century England: duelling, suicide, adultery, and gambling. Each of the four, it was commonly believed, owed its origin to pride. Many felt the law did not go far enough to punish those perpetrators who were members of the elite. In this exciting new book, Andrew explores each vice’s treatment by the press at the time and shows how a century of public ...

Pearse's skill as an orator is indisputable. His fiery idealism was one of the key motivators that brought the rebels to the GPO in 1916. This collection of his wrting showcase's this skill, but also the complex philosophy that underpinned it. Ranging from his theories of education articulated in 'The Murder Machine' (1912), through his orations on the great Fenian leaders of the past: Wolfe Tone, Emmet and O'Donovan Rossa; to his writings on 'The Separtatist Idea', 'The Spiritual Nation' ...

First published in 1981, 'John Ludlow; A Christian Socialist' is an important contribution to the field of History.

Ben Wilson's The Making of Victorian Values is the history of an era rather like our own-a time when dissenters and rebels were hemmed in by conformists and hardheaded authoritarians, a time when a nation on the eve of global domination fretted about its future. It was, however, a period when those who argued that a British empire would be a disaster for liberty were eventually squashed by imperialists, just as those who railed against mindless materialism were in the end rolled o...

A tribute to the campaigner and political reformer Richard Pankhurst, husband to Emmeline Pankhurst and father to suffragists Adela, Sylvia and Christine Pankhurst. He helped found the Manchester Liberal Association and established a National Society for Women's Suffrage as well as drafting the first women's suffrage bill in England. A committed liberal, he also campaigned for such diverse causes as independence for India, universal free education, nationalisation of land and the abolition...

In "Eminent English Liberals in and out of Parliament," John Morrison Davidson meticulously examines the lives and contributions of key figures in the English Liberal movement. Through an eloquent narrative style, Davidson contextualizes the political landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, illustrating how liberal values shaped parliamentary discourse and broader societal norms. His analytical approach not only highlights the historical significance of these figures but also ...

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was a prolific English journalist and author best known for his mystery series featuring the priest-detective Father Brown and for the metaphysical thriller The Man Who Was Thursday. Baptized into the Church of England, Chesterton underwent a crisis of faith as a young man and became fascinated with the occult. He eventually converted to Roman Catholicism and published some of Christianity's most influential apologetics, including Heretics and Orthodoxy.