Preface

Summary

The specific origin of this book lies in the fact that one of us was struck some years ago by the broad similarity between the geographical distribution of wealth in England in the early-fourteenth century and that in the late-twentieth century. Developments in between, including the Industrial Revolution, appeared puzzlingly not to have upset that fundamental pattern. More generally, the concept of a North–South divide has featured hugely in the political and popular imagination but hardly at all in studies of the historical geography of England. This book seeks to address that puzzle and to correct that neglect. We are grateful to the individual authors for participating in a workshop to discuss the issues and for engaging in this collective project. The final stages of this book have benefited immensely from the meticulous copy-editing of Jacqueline French, whose help we have warmly appreciated.