This book encompasses the histories of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and also considers the relationships between the different parts of the British Isles. Six chapters examine key themes in turn: society and population, economic life, religion, intellectual life and cultural expression, kingdoms and dominions at peace and at war, and kingship and government. Specially commissioned from six leading historians, these chapters provide lively and authoritative coverage of the main developments of the period. Including maps, a chronology, and an introduction and conclusion by Ralph Griffiths to draw together key points, this book provides an integrated and accessible account of these islannds.