A Companion to Nineteenth-Century Britain presents 33 essays by expert scholars on all the major aspects of the political, social, economic and cultural history of Britain during the late Georgian and Victorian eras. It makes sense of the fascinating new perspectives on this era that have been generated in recent years while not losing sight of broader, more enduring themes. Each essay both distils the current state of historical scholarship and assesses the directions that research is likely to take in future. All the contributions pay attention to the experiences of women as well as of men, and to regional and national variations across Britain and Ireland. Though engaged with cutting-edge theories, including postmodern and post-structuralist perspectives, the contributors avoid technical jargon and assume no prior expert knowledge. The volume is written in a clear and energetic manner, and illustrated with maps and charts where appropriate. Guides to further reading allow readers to follow chosen avenues of investigation with confidence.