Earthly Necessities / Keith Wrightson

The birth of an integrated capitalist market economy marked one of the great historical turning points – and was accompanied by dramatic changes in social structures, incomes and cultural attitudes. In this outstanding work of synthesis, Keith Wrightson uses both chronological and thematic approaches to elucidate the crucial transformation of the world of ‘households in a landscape’ into the fully-fledged market system of Augustan Britain. Although focused on England, he never neglects the distinctive experiences of Scotland and Wales. And by often citing the specific experiences of individuals, he demonstrates that economic history – at its best – can illuminate almost every aspect of human life.