Long established as a classic of modern historical writing, The Age of Improvement has had a unique influence on teaching and research.

Foreword Introduction: Period and Problems 1. Economy and Society in the 1780s 2. Politics and the Government on the Eve of the French Revolution 3. The Impact of War 4. The Politics of Transition 5. Reform 6. Social Cleavage 7. Britain and the World overseas 8. The Balance of Interests 9. Victorianism 10. The Leap in the Dark