Paul Langford is Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, and has been a Professor of Modern History at Oxford since 1996. Amongst his numerous publications are A Polite and Commercial People: English 1727-83 and Englishness Identified: Manner and Character, 1650-1850.

• Introduction: Time and space ; 1. Contested kingdoms, 1688-1796 ; 2. Enlightenment and faith ; 3. Governing diverse societies ; 4. The wealth of the nation ; 5. The culture of improvement ; 6. Contested Empire, 1756-1815 ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Maps ; Index

Paul Langford is Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, and has been a Professor of Modern History at Oxford since 1996. Amongst his numerous publications are A Polite and Commercial People: English 1727-83 and Englishness Identified: Manner and Character, 1650-1850.

• Introduction: Time and space ; 1. Contested kingdoms, 1688-1796 ; 2. Enlightenment and faith ; 3. Governing diverse societies ; 4. The wealth of the nation ; 5. The culture of improvement ; 6. Contested Empire, 1756-1815 ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Maps ; Index

Paul Langford is Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford, and has been a Professor of Modern History at Oxford since 1996. Amongst his numerous publications are A Polite and Commercial People: English 1727-83 and Englishness Identified: Manner and Character, 1650-1850.

• Introduction: Time and space ; 1. Contested kingdoms, 1688-1796 ; 2. Enlightenment and faith ; 3. Governing diverse societies ; 4. The wealth of the nation ; 5. The culture of improvement ; 6. Contested Empire, 1756-1815 ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Maps ; Index