Politician, journalist, reformer, convict, social commentator and all-round thorn in the side of the establishment, Cobbett had a talent for controversial and pugnacious writing that echoes down the centuries and still rings fresh today. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of Cobbett's birth in 1763, this book provides a selection of his writings - both published and unpublished - that highlight his talents, obsessions, and concerns. This book not only brings to life the dynamic and rumbustious world of Georgian England within which Cobbett moved, but also reveals many uncanny parallels with modern concerns.

Foreword by Richard Ingrams, Preface and Acknowledgements, Introduction by the Editors, 1. Cobbett's Early Life and Progress, 2. Corruption, 3. Patriotism and Nationalism, 4. Parliamentary Reform, 5. Villains and Pet Hates, 6. Sound Money and Cottage Economy, 7. Religion, Medievalism and the Gothic, 8. Love and Marriage, 9. Poverty and the Poor Laws, 10. America, 11. Scotland and Ireland, 12. Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, 13. Literature, Sensibility and the Romantics, Chronology of Cobbett's Life, Bibliography