An Imperial State at War - Britain From 1689-1815 (Hardcover)

John Brewer has tranformed the study of eighteenth century British history, and with his most recent book, "The Sinews of Power, " has challenged its most central concepts. Brewer puts forth a Britain forced to pay the costs of war in defense of a growing empire, with the power of the state increasing dramatically. As laissez faire' drops away, a stronger, more centralized and powerful Britian emerges.
In "An Imperial State at War, " edited by Lawrence Stone (himself a figure of controversy), the leading historians working on the eigteenth century put the Brewer thesis to the test. Like "The Sinews of Power" itself, this is a major advance in the study of first period empire.