This volume examines when, why, and how Britain became the first modern urban nation.

Preface; Plates; Maps and figures; Tables; Abbreviations; Acknowledgements; Introduction Peter Clark. Part I. Area surveys 1540-1840: 1. Introduction Peter Clark; 2. England: 2.1. East Anglia Penelope Corfield; 2.2. South east C. W. Chalklin; 2.3. South west Jonathan Barry; 2.4. Midlands Alan Dyer; 2.5. The north John Walton; 3. Wales Philip Jenkins; 4. Scotland T. M. Devine; Part II. Urban Themes and Types 1540-1700: 5. Towns in an agrarian economy Paul Glennie and Ian Whyte; 6. Population and disease, estrangement and belonging Paul Griffiths, John Landers, Margaret Pelling and Robert Tyson; 7. Politics and government Ian Archer; 8. Reformation and culture Vanessa Harding; 9. The urban landscape Michael Reed; 10. London Jeremy Boulton; 11. Great and good towns Paul Slack; 12. Ports David Harris Sacks and Michael Lynch; 13. Small market towns Alan Dyer; Part III. Urban Themes and Types 1700 to 1840: 14. Urban growth and economic change John Langton; 15. Population and society Pamela Sharpe; 16. Politics and government Joanna Innes and Nicholas Rogers; 17. Culture and leisure Peter Clark and Rab Houston; 18. The transformation of urban space Michael Reed; 19. London Leonard Schwartz; 20. Regional and county centres Joyce Ellis; 21. The ports Gordon Jackson; 22. Small towns Peter Clark; 23. Health and leisure resorts Peter Borsay; 24. Industrialising towns Barrie Trinder; Conclusion Peter Clark; Select bibliography; Index.