State and Society Fourth Edition A Social and Political History of Britain since 1870

As a vigorous interpretation of political and social developments in Britain since the late-Victorian era, State and Societyhas rapidly become one of the most respected and widely read introductions to the history of modern Britain. In this new edition, the account is updated to take in the decline of New Labour, the financial crisis and the Coalition Government. Pugh examines not only the changes in the political and social spectrums but also those elements of continuity linking the past with more recent history. He closes with an assessment of the continuing dilemmas of national unity - encompassing both positive and negative aspects, from the Royal Wedding to immigration and the defense cuts.

Martin Pugh was Professor of British History at Newcastle University and Research Professor in History at Liverpool John Moores University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a member of the advisory panel of the BBC History Magazine, and the author of over twelve books on nineteenth- and twentieth-century history. His previous publications include Women and the Women's Movement in Britain 1914-1959, A Companion to Modern European History 1871-1945, The Pankhursts: The History of One Radical Family, Speak for Britain: A New History of the Labour Party and We Danced All Night: A Social History of Britain Between the Wars.