The Longman Handbook of Modern British History by Chris Cook and John Stevenson

Now in its fourth edition, this book is a superb reference work for anyone regularly dealing with modern British history, but perhaps too much for casual readers and students.

Pros

Cons

Tactile issues shouldn't really invade the review of a reference book, but the pages of Longman's Handbook of Modern British History are mercifully broader than those of their Handbook of Modern European History, a text I frequently use but find too compact for easy note-taking. No such problems here! The material is divided into four thematic categories (politics, society and religion, economics, foreign affairs and defence) with further sections on containing biographies, bibliographies and a glossary. Each category is packed with timelines/chronologies, lists of people and events, tables of figures, explanations and charts on more subjects than I could ever cover here, so I will illustrate with three at random: Major developments in the press, the Independent Labour Party, a biography of Harriet Martineu (1802-76).

As someone with a long term interest in numerous eras of history (not to mention a bad memory), I've found the text invaluable, with dates, names and figures swiftly and easily available. However, I'm not convinced whether a student could ever justify the purchase. On the one hand, their essays and understanding would surely benefit from the details Longman provide, but those facts may also be in the monographs and essays they are required to read for their study. All but wealthy students should probably borrow the Handbook of Modern British History from the library, while everyone with a more sustained interest should consider a purchase.