This is a revised and extensively rewritten edition of a work first published in 1985 as English Society 1688-1832. That book arrived at the opening of a new phase in English historiography, which questioned much of the received picture of English society as secular, modernising, contractarian, and middle class; it began the recovery of the 'long eighteenth century', the period which saw a form of state defined by the close relationship of monarchy, aristocracy and church. In particular, it placed religion at the centre of social and intellectual life, and used ecclesiastical history to illuminate many historical themes more commonly examined in a secular framework. In its updated form, this book reinforces these theses with new evidence, which extends its arguments into fresh areas of enquiry.

喬納森•剋拉剋（J.C.D.Clark），長於宗教史和政治史研究，著有《變遷的動力：18世紀50年代危機與英國政黨製度》（1982年）、《革命與反叛：17世紀和18世紀的英國國傢與社會》（1986年）、《自由的語言，1660－1832年，盎格魯－美洲世界的政治論戰和社會動力》（1994年）、《塞繆爾•約翰遜》（1995年）等著作。

薑德福，1963年10月生，曆史學博士。現任大連大學曆史學院教授，遼寜省曆史學會副理事長。著述有：《社會變遷中的貴族》（專著）、《現代早期英國社會的變遷》（閤著）、《歐洲貴族1400－1800》（譯著）等。