An anthology of both familiar and previously unavailable primary texts that illuminate the world of nineteenth-century ideas. An expert team introduce and annotate a range of original social, cultural, political and historical documents necessary for contextualising key literary texts from the Victorian period.

JOHN PLUNKETT is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Exeter, UK.

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Series Editor's Preface
Timeline of Historical Events 
Introduction
Historical Events
Society, Politics and Class 
Gender and Sexuality
Religion and Belief
Philosophy and Ideas
Arts and Aesthetics
Popular Culture
Literary Production and Reception
Empire, Race and Postcolonialism
Science and Technology
Further Reading
Index.