This book is intended as a reference-companion to the personalities, events, and ideas of the last century and a half. While the prime emphasis is on British affairs and on political topics, the Dictionary is intended to represent trends in the history of all the major regions of the world. Particular care has been taken to include numerous entries on the USA and on Russia, areas which earlier books tended to neglect.

          The entries are arranged in alphabetical order (with appropriate cross-references) and are in essay form, ranging in length from little more than 100 words to nearly 2,000. There are entries on economic, social, religious and scientific developments. Explanations are given of some of the famous descriptive phrases of the period. About a third of the entries are biographical.