Böcker i Cambridge Library Collection - British and Irish History, 19th Century-serien

Richard Jefferies (1848-87) remains one of the most thoughtful and most lyrical writers on the English countryside. This volume, first published posthumously in 1892, contains a collection of essays vividly describing the daily life, circumstances and hardships of Victorian English farmers, labourers and their wives.

George Sturt (1863-1927) was a British wheelwright and writer who generally used the pen-name George Bourne. First published in 1922, this volume contains Sturt's biography of his uncle, farmer John Smith, in which Sturt sensitively describes the domestic life and farming methods of a vanished way of life.

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 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.

Lawless was a novelist born in County Kildare in 1845. Despite her great love for Ireland, she eventually became disillusioned with its politics and moved to England. In this work, she intersperses an account of a year spent tending to her garden in Surrey with autobiographical and philosophical ruminations.

Mona Caird (1854-1932) was a British novelist and early radical feminist social critic. This volume, first published in 1897, contains a collection of Caird's influential feminist essays in which she criticises contemporary ideas of marriage and motherhood, presenting a detailed account of late-Victorian radical feminist views and ideals.

The Women of England, published in 1839, was an important work on the role and status of middle-class women, stressing the influence they could exert both on family life and society. She argues for the proper moral and intellectual training of girls, while accepting conventional restrictions on women.

First published in 1869, this influential volume contains a compilation of essays written by prominent Victorian feminists and their supporters. Edited by campaigner Josephine Butler (1828-1906), these essays discuss a variety of issues considered of importance to the early feminist movement, illustrating the concerns and aims of the movement.

Josephine Elizabeth Butler (1828-1906) was a prominent English feminist. This volume, first published anonymously in 1871, explores the legal ramifications of the Contagious Diseases Acts. Butler denounces the Acts for denying women their civil rights and discusses how their repeal, with universal suffrage, would prevent this situation from recurring.

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.

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.

Dinah Craik (1826-1887) was a prolific writer of novels, poetry and essays. In this work Craik provided advice for single women like herself. She was critical of learned helplessness and advocated independence and cross-class sympathy, believing women should 'lead active, intelligent, industrious lives: lives complete in themselves'.

Caroline Norton (1808-1877) was a Victorian author and campaigner for social reform. In this volume Norton describes how upon marriage in 1855 women became legally 'non-existent'. She explains the effect of this on women estranged from their husbands using her own experiences as an example.

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.

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.

Demetrius C. Boulger (1853-1928) published several works on Asia including this 1908 biography of Sir Halliday Macartney (1833-1906). After army service in India and China, the medically qualified Macartney directed an arsenal at Nanking before becoming a successful diplomat who influenced Anglo-Chinese relations for over thirty years.

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.

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.

Millicent Garrett Fawcett (1847-1929) was an influential writer on topics such as female education and women's suffrage, and leader of the non-violent Suffragists. In this 1920 work she looks back on the history of the struggle, and assesses what had been achieved.

John Ramsay McCulloch (1789-1864) wrote or edited numerous works on the nascent field of political economy (several are reissued in this series). This 1857 collection of thirteen pieces, by various authors, comprises 'a full exposition of the principles that determine the value of paper currency'.

John Ramsay McCulloch (1789-1864) wrote or edited numerous works on the nascent field of political economy (several are reissued in this series). This 1859 collection of eleven miscellaneous pieces ranges in date from 1685 to 1808, and in content across the economic impact of building, charity, whaling and pawnbroking.

This 1863 work aimed to provide a general account of the main principles of the English criminal justice system for the intelligent layman. This covers mens rea and the classification and definition of specific crimes, but focuses mainly on English criminal procedure and the rules of evidence in criminal law.

Written by a prolific Scottish author, this comprehensive housekeeping guide was first published in 1826. The book contains recipes, cooking advice, instructions for presenting and preserving food, and other domestic hints. This second edition appeared in 1827 and includes a new section on French cookery and 200 extra recipes.