Donald Read 
The Age of Urban Democracy [PDF ebook] 
England 1868 – 1914

This ambitious survey covers all aspects of the period in which English society acquired its modern shape – industrial rather than agricultural, urban rather than rural, democratic in its institutions, and middle class rather than aristocratic in the control of political power. For this revised edition the footnotes and bibliography have been fully updated, and the entire text has been reset in a larger and more attractive format. An ideal introduction to the subject, it masters a huge amount of material through its clear structure, sensible judgements and approachable style.