This new edition is almost half as large again as it’s predecessor (published in 1998), with 74 articles on Berkshire’s history (and pre-history) from the Palaeolithic period to the twenty-first century, each accompanied by specially-drawn maps in full colour, and with numerous illustrations. Most of the original articles have been revised and updated, and many new ones added. The editors, Joan Dils and Margaret Yates, have assembled a formidable band of specialists to create what is likely to become the standard work on Berkshire’s history for many years to come. For those wishing to possess an accessible introduction to the county of their ancestors, this book will be indispensable. The scene is set with articles on Berkshire’s geology and topography and on the changing county boundary. Major upheavals in the county’s history are covered by articles on the Civil War, the enclosure movement and the Swing Riots, while essays on bridges and roads, rivers and canals, and the railways (see illustration), explore the…