Dr. Fussell’s theme is the evolution of the study of farming history, which as a branch of historiography is no more than two centuries old. He charts the development of interest in the history of rural life in England and Western Europe in the course of the nineteenth century, which has led to the acceptance of the subject as an important branch of historical research. This important work attempts to place the writers of agricultural history in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries within their social context. It forms an integral continuation of Dr. Fussell's previous bibliographical studies, and provides an indispensable work of reference for students of the subject.