The romantic notion of the Cockney, the shrewd and slangy common man coming from nowhere and surviving by his wits, is best exemplified by E.J. Milliken's character 'Arry and the verse letters or ballads he writes. The letters and stories, as well as the character of 'Arry, were Milliken's vehicles for social criticism, namely the intolerance shown by the aristocracy. Those letters, colorful additions to Victorian history and humor, tell the story of 'Arry, a commoner who is enamored of the social hierarchy, and who is keenly aware how close the top and bottom rungs are. Central to the themes is the Cockney whose pride is his dialect.

Confidence in the face of the class system and withering social criticism make Milliken's 'Arry ballads memorable. This work analyzes the Cockney ballads and contains extensive annotations. Each chapter is dedicated to a facet of the everyday life of the common man in Victorian England, including entertainment, travel, and politics. Each is prefaced with a short analytical history of the period which also places the letters in context.