Publisher's Synopsis
These essays offer the first comparative analysis of the two great cities, London and Dublin, and their rise between the sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Capital cities of their respective islands and leading ports, London and Dublin shared many social, economic and other developments. By the eighteenth century they had become leading centres of the Enlightenment. Yet the contrasts were also striking - with the pervasive power of religion in the Irish city. Moreover, London was the imperial metropolis, and Dublin remained for all its efforts a colonial capital. The contributors, all leading urban historians examine the physical growth of the cities, economic and social trends, governance and cultural significance. Throughout there is an awareness of the interaction between London and Dublin and their national societies. This volume is a major contribution not only to urban studies but also to British and Irish history in general.
