104 The Nineteenth Century (1815 - 1914)

It is, therefore, little wonder that no really comprehensive
or firm general accounts have yet been produced, though we
have several useful books on parts of the period. Briggs has
attempted to refresh study of the age by choosing unusual
terminal dates for his contribution to a general series, but the
real value of the book lies in its concentration on social questions
seen from the point of view of the provinces.631 Beales also
covers a solid chunk of years in a survey which does excellently,
considering the brevity imposed on the author; here politics
play the main role.632 Kitson Clarke both assimilates and
introduces some novel notions in two essentially consecutive
surveys which avoid the manner of the textbook and are dis-
tinguished by the author's marked humanity; but they do not
attempt to provide more than a sketch of events.633 Burn
covers only one decade, but there is much originality in the
writing of a professor who was also a justice of the peace and
who recalled the commonly forgotten fact that even as late
as 1850 most Englishmen still lived rural lives.634 Perkin
attempts a general survey concentrated on the problems of
social transformation; necessarily in part premature, the book
will prove as stimulating for further work as it is useful in
indicating work done.635 More simply, Deny traces one par-
ticular strand by means of biographical essays touching on a
mixed collection of people.636 Briggs's essays, respectively, on
people and towns similarly attempt to paint a picture by col-

431 Asa Briggs, The Age of Improvement. L: Longmans: 1959. Pp. xii,

547. Rev: EHR 75, I73f.
433 Derek E. D. Beales, From Castlereagh to Gladstone, 1815 - 1885. L:

Nelson: 1969. Pp. 328.
«53 G, Kitson Clark, The Making of Victorian England. L: Methuen:

1962. Pp. xii, 312. Rev: EHR Bo, 1296°. -Idem, An Expanding

Society: Britain 1830 - 1000, CUP: 1967. Pp. xv, 188. Rev: EHR 84,

I27&; EcHR* 20, 407^
534 \Y^ j^ gurn? T/M Age of Equipoise: a study of the mid-Victorian genera-

tion. L: Allea & Unwin: 1964. Pp. 340. Rev: EHR 81,

«35 Harold Perkin, The Origins of Modem English Society, 1780 - 1880.

L: Routledge: 1969. Pp. xiv, 465.
es« John W. Deny, The Radical Tradition: Tom Paine to Lloyd George.

L: Macmillan: 1967* Pp. xi» 435. Rev: EHR 84, 197^