A definitive account of newspaper and periodical press history across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales covering 1650 to the present day. At various points over the last 400 years, key political, economic and social processes, have worked to hinder or promote the expansion and dissemination of information across Britain and Ireland via newspapers and periodicals. In a contemporary era characterized by debate on the limits of devolution and the potential of independence we need to assess the roles played by newspapers and periodicals in enabling national and regional identities to emerge, cohere and diversify over time. How can we best identify the most significant of these processes? What were the critical flashpoints in their development? How have they marked the place of the press in civic society? What are the consequences in considering these within the general history of the British and Irish press? This three-volume prestige project addresses these matters, offering a definitive account of newspaper and periodical press activity across Britain and Ireland between 1650 to the present day and addressing questions related to four key research interests: general social/ political history; newspaper and periodical history; cultural history; and technological history.