Now available in a fully-revised and updated second edition, A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present provides a comprehensive survey of the social, political, economic and cultural history of Great Britain from the Hanoverian succession to the present day.

"This is a superb history of Britain for the past 300 years. Engagingly written, it provides the political, social, economic and cultural story as well as illuminating discussions of the different interpretations historians have made of the British past. Its readers will learn a lot as well as being given the tools to explore further."
—Peter Stansky, Stanford University

"Wasson offers a learned and elegant narrative and a provocative outlook that encourages readings "against the grain." Several sections are updated in this second edition, and its companion sources and documents volume remains indispensable."
—Susan Dabney Pennybacker, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Praise for the previous edition

"Ellis Wasson's history of modern Britain is written with style and wit, with insight and subtlety. He combines wide reading with clarity of exposition, and has a rare ability to use telling example and personal stories to explain general points. His book offers an outstanding introduction to British history in all its guises – political, social, economic, cultural and intellectual – and brings alive another society."
—Martin Daunton, University of Cambridge

Now available in a fully revised and updated second edition, A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present provides a comprehensive, student-friendly survey of the history of Great Britain from the Hanoverian succession to the present day. Placing Britain in a global context, this bestselling introduction offers students who are new to British history a window into the social, economic, and political history of one of the most influential civilizations of the past 300 years. The new edition has been revised to incorporate the most up-to-date scholarship on imperialism and the industrial revolution, and includes a new section on the Conservative–Lib Dem coalition government elected in 2010. Extensive reference to historiography is threaded through the narrative. The text also incorporates an array of pedagogical features, including illustrations, maps, an extensive bibliography, a complete list of British prime ministers, a genealogy of the royal family, and a comprehensive glossary of British terms. Written in an engaging style and covering topics ranging from the Irish potato famine to the invention of the computer, the second edition of A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present will be an indispensable guide for British history students and teachers alike.

Now available in a fully-revised and updated second edition, A History of Modern Britain: 1714 to the Present provides a comprehensive survey of the social, political, economic and cultural history of Great Britain from the Hanoverian succession to the present day.

• Places Britain in a global context, charting the rise and fall of the British empire and the influence of imperialism on the social, economic, and political developments of the home country
• Includes revised sections on imperialism and the industrial revolution that have been updated to reflect recent scholarship, a more reflective view on New Labour since its demise, and an all new section on the performance of the Conservative – Lib/Dem coalition that came into office in 2010
• Features illustrations, maps, an up-to-date bibliography, a full list of Prime Ministers, a genealogy of the royal family, and a comprehensive glossary explaining uniquely British terms, acronyms, and famous figures
• Spans topics as diverse as the slave trade, the novels of Charles Dickens, the Irish Potato Famine, the legalization of homosexuality, coalmines in South Wales, Antarctic exploration, and the invention of the computer
• Includes extensive reference to historiography