Bücher der Reihe Cambridge Library Collection - British and Irish History, 19th Century

An expert in banking, Sir Robert Harry Inglis Palgrave (1827-1919) also formulated plans to further the general understanding of economics. The three volumes of this landmark work originally appeared in 1894, 1896 and 1899. With entries written by a distinguished group of international contributors, it made economic subjects far more accessible to English readers.

In 1832, soldier and diplomat Alexander Burnes (1805-41) embarked on a covert expedition to Bukhara, to survey the country and observe the activities of the Russians in central Asia. This bestselling account was published in 1834. Volume 1 describes the journey to Bukhara, through Afghanistan into barely explored territory.

Richard Jefferies (1848-87) remains one of the most thoughtful and most lyrical writers on the English countryside. This two-volume work, first published in 1880, contains a collection of essays vividly describing the daily life, hardships and pleasures of Victorian English farmers, labourers and their wives.

Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) was a prominent Quaker and social reformer, particularly remembered for her work to reform prison conditions. This memoir, based on her letters and diaries, was edited by two of her daughters, and was first published in 1847. Volume 1 ends in 1825.

Rider Haggard's survey of the state of English agriculture was carried out in 1901-1902, and published twice in book form. It shows a picture of agriculture in poor condition, and suggests reforms to improve matters. The book was well received, and many of Haggard's suggestions were later implemented.

The achievements of the polymath Sir John Lubbock, Lord Avebury (1834-1913) spanned banking, politics and science. This two-volume biography by Horace G. Hutchinson (1859-1932), first published in 1914, traces Lubbock's extraordinary life and career, from the early influence of Charles Darwin to professional, intellectual and philanthropic pursuits.

Charles Knight's six-volume work on London, published 1841-4, relies on the skills of eminent artists to bring both the present and the past of London to life. Arranged thematically rather than chronologically or geographically, this is a fascinating account of what was then the greatest city in the world.

Henry Solly (1813-1903) was a British Unitarian minister and social reformer. He is remembered today for his involvement in Working Men's Clubs and the Garden City movement. Volume 1 of Solly's autobiography, first published in 1893, focuses on his childhood and his early intellectual and political development.

This three-volume account of the 1851 Great Exhibition, first published the following year, describes the planning of the project, exhibits from machinery and fabrics to jewellery and exotic imports, and the event's reception and influence. Volume 1 describes the preparations for the exhibition and focuses particularly on the 'foreign and colonial' departments and the decorative arts.

The growth of imperialism at the end of the nineteenth century prompted the publication of scholarly studies on Britain's economic relations. This volume, first published in 1903 and written by the economist John William Root, explores the external and internal trade relations in the British Empire and its constituent colonies.

First published in 1903, this authorised biography of four-times Liberal Prime Minister Gladstone (1809-1898) provides valuable insights into Victorian political life. Volume 1 covers Gladstone's education, his election as a Tory, his first period as Chancellor of the Exchequer and his move towards the Liberals in 1859.

Published in 1862, this work gives a 'guided tour' of London's International Exhibition of that year, showcasing Victorian achievements in technology and the arts. Exhibits ranged from early washing machines and lawnmowers to the latest designs for fabrics and ceramics. Sixty full-page steel engravings enhance the descriptions of the exhibition.

In this 1903 publication, which influenced later socially minded authors like George Orwell, American writer Jack London (1876-1916) examines the living conditions of the impoverished residents of London's East End, demonstrating how politics had failed the vulnerable. The text is illustrated with photographs of the places and people mentioned.

Best-selling novelist Rider Haggard (1856-1925) was also a recognised expert on agricultural practice, and published this account of his life and work as a farmer in Norfolk in 1899. It gives a lyrical but unsentimental view of both the pleasure and the problems of late Victorian rural life.

William Henry Hudson (1841-1922) was a naturalist and author, acclaimed both for his knowledge of wildlife and for his literary style. A Shepherd's Life, published in 1910, contains his impressions of the Wiltshire Downs - the people, places, wildlife and history - gained by tramping around the English countryside.

First published in 1925, this account of British agriculture, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, is a valuable source for social and economic historians. Lord Ernle was President of the Board of Agriculture during the First World War, and revolutionised agricultural production to feed the country at war.

Frederick Ernest Green (1867-1922) was a writer who recorded the daily lives of agricultural labourers. This volume, first published in 1913, contains Green's discussion of the poverty and other problems faced by contemporary rural labourers, providing valuable information for the study of changes in rural societies.

This grim description of the realities of life for the rural poor was the result of Richard Heath's travels around the country in the 1870s, published in book form in 1893. Heath's general theme is of poverty and ignorance, the result of primitive living conditions and low pay.

Henry Stephens (1795-1874) was a farmer and writer on agriculture. These influential volumes, first published in 1842, contain Stephens' detailed guide to the best contemporary farming practice. Arranged by season with copious illustrations, these volumes were considered the standard work on practical agriculture. Volume 1 describes winter farming tasks.

The Handy Book of Parish Law was first published in 1859, and ran to twelve editions, of which this is the third (1872). It is a useful source for local historians, explaining parish law which was the lowest level of local government as well as relating church matters.

Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) was a British scholar. These volumes, first published in 1877, contain her autobiography, which she wrote in 1855, believing herself to be dying. The books remain remarkable for her vivid descriptions and candid opinions of Victorian society. Volume 1 covers her life until 1834.

Sir Charles Bruce (1836-1920) was a colonial administrator. These volumes, first published in 1910, contain his discussions of problems of colonial administration, informed by his own experience, and provide a wealth of information on the administration of contemporary British colonies. Volume 1 contains a survey of colonial policy.

First published in 1883, The Expansion of England examines the growth of the British Empire, which Seeley memorably says was acquired 'in a fit of absence of mind'. He believed that to keep its position of world influence, historical analysis must be the basis of present and future decisions.

Edward Gibbon Wakefield (1796-1862) was a controversial colonial advocate and political theorist, who vigorously promoted the colonization of New Zealand and South Australia. This volume, first published in 1849, contains a discussion of Wakefield's influential philosophy of colonization, in the form of letters between himself and an anonymous statesman.

Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863) was a British politician and scholar who was appointed Home Secretary in 1859. This volume, first published in 1841, contains Lewis'sdiscussion of the political interactions between a dependent government and its superior government, and the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement to both.

Goldwin Smith (1823-1910) was a British historian and journalist considered by contemporaries a leading proponent of left-wing intellectual radicalism. This volume, first published in 1863, contains a collection of letters written by Smith examining British colonial interests, including government and possible self-determination, from an anti-imperialist standpoint.

Charlotte Montefiore published A Few Words to the Jews anonymously in 1853. The nine essays cover topics including the Sabbath, Jewish women, Jewish materialism, and religious festivals. The work is a rare example of a nineteenth-century Anglo-Jewish writer's call for religious reform and social justice within her community.

This Life of Victorian radical politician Richard Cobden (1804-1865) was first published in 1881. It was considered outstanding in its careful and systematic use of source material, as Morley had access not only to Cobden's papers but to those of many of his friends and associates.

Frederich Engels (1820-1895) was a German businessman and renowned political theorist. This influential volume, first published in German in 1845 and in English in 1892, contains Engels' classic account of early Victorian working-class life in Manchester and remains a vivid portrait of nineteenth-century urban England.

Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) remains one of the most thoughtful and most lyrical writers on the English countryside. First published in 1884, this volume contains a collection of previously published articles and essays, in which Jefferies describes rural life and folk traditions in England in his highly descriptive style.