This comprehensive survey of events, people and themes explores the interwoven culture, society, politics and economics of Britain at the start of the 21st century. Two hundred concise essays cover topics as diverse as pornography and the poll tax, the Blitz and New Labour.

The A-Z Guide to Modern Social and Political Theories is a companion volume to the already published A-Z Guide to Modern Literary and Cultural Theorists. It ranges widely through the social sciences and related areas to identify thinkers who have had a major impact on the development of modern social and political theory and given clear, accessible summaries of their work. While the accent is on the later twentieth century, several up-and-coming theorists are included to ensure a contemporary edge to the volume, classic names in the field from the earlier twentieth century are not neglected, and the collection also delves back into the nineteenth century for such founding figures of the social sciences as Marx and Comte. The volume is therefore both up-to-date and mindful of the sources of modern debates.

This is a comprehensive survey of events, people and themes that make us who we are. In 200 concise essays, covering topics as diverse as pornography and the poll tax, the Blitz and New Labour, the authors explore the interwoven culture, society, politics and economics of the recent past.

"A masterful attempt to describe the historical secondary literature of the British Isles -- from prehistory to the present day -- the set is comprised of substantial essays of 1,000 to 3,000 words each on a wide array of subjects -- all written by pre-eminent scholars in language accessible to beginning students and advanced researchers. Each listed essay title is given a thorough annotation."--"The Top 20 Reference Titles of the Year," American Libraries, May 2004.

First published in 1996, this comprehensive guide to the history of Britain and its peoples will be indispensable reading for the general enthusiast, as well as students. It is packed full of fascinating detail on everything from Hadrian’s Wall to the Black Death to Tony Blair. The book was assembled over more than thirty years and has seen updates in three editions. "He has done for historical encyclopaedias what Samuel Johnson did for dictionaries." Andrew Roberts, The Daily Telegraph "An astonishing synthesis of information." Roger Scruton, The Times "An astonishing achievement, a compelling book for dipping into, a splendid work." Simon Hoggart, The Guardian "This marvellous book, which contains tens of thousands of historical facts will enlighten, amuse, and inform. Every home should have one." Simon Heffer, The Daily Mail "If you were marooned on that mythical desert island with only one history book, this would be the one to take. Buy three copies – one for the children, one for the grandchildren- and one for yourself." John Charmley, The Daily Telegraph

A unique A-Z guide to the history of black people in the British Isles from classical times to the present day. With entries for landmark figures (e.g. Mary Seacole, Crimean nurse), key events (the Brixton Riots), concepts (Emancipation), and historical accounts. Wide-ranging coverage from medicine and warfare to art, music, sport, and education.

How was American culture disseminated into Britain? Why did many British citizens embrace American customs? And what picture did they form of American society and politics? This engaging and wide-ranging history explores these and other questions about the U.S.'s cultural and political influence on British society in the post-World War II period.

Family Newspapers? provides the first detailed historical study of the modern popular press's coverage of sex and private life, from the start of the mass newspaper reading boom in 1918 to the triumph of the Sun's sexualised journalism in 1978. In this period, newspapers were at the heart of British popular culture, and Fleet Street's preoccupation with sex meant that the press was a hugely significant source of knowledge and imagery about sexual behaviour, personal relationships, and moral codes. Focusing on changing ideas of what sexual content was deemed 'fit to print', Adrian Bingham reveals how editors negotiated the tension between exploiting public curiosity about sex and ensuring that their journalism remained within the bounds of acceptability for a 'family newspaper'. The study challenges established interpretations of social change by drawing attention to the ways in which the press opened up the public discussion of sexuality before the 'permissiveness' of the 1960s. Exploring the spectacular diversity of the press's sexual content - from advice columns to pin-ups, from court reports to celebrity revelations - Bingham offers a rich and thought-provoking investigation of a media form that has done much to shape the character of modern Britain.

The Royal Historical Society's Annual Bibliography of British and Irish History provides a comprehensive and authoritative survey of books and articles on historical topics published in a single calendar year. It is available before the end of the following year. The volume is divided into sections, to cover all periods of British and Irish history from Roman Britain to the end of the twentieth century, and is arranged alphabetically. It also includes sections on imperial and commonwealth history. Over two hundred journals are searched annually, and the editor's aim is to list all relevant books and articles published in the UK. Each section is edited by a specialist in the field; the whole is edited by Austin Gee for the Royal Historical Society. The book's contents are indexed by author, by place, by personal name, and by subject. The subject keywords enable scholars to trace publications in which they are interested, beyond the information conveyed in the title. The Annual Bibliography is the most complete and up-to-date bibliography of its type, and an indispensable tool for historians.