This new Companion brings together a huge wealth of material on Britain in the long eighteenth century with attention once again on the Age of Englightenment. Enormously rich and wide-ranging, the book begins with a long section devoted to the 18th century political system and then covers foreign affairs and the empire, the major military and naval campaigns, law and order, religion, economic and financial advances, and social and cultural history. Particular features include: an extensive cultural and intellectual chronology which sets out in tabular form the main developments in politics, literature, science and philosophy, religion, music, art and architecture; approximately 500 mini-biographies of the leading figures of the day; and an exceptionally detailed guide to further reading.