The lives of the outstanding scholars celebrated in the volume often reveal unexpected personal and professional backgrounds. Taken together they build up a picture of the development of Britain's intellectual life.

The Fellows of the British Academy who are remembered in this volume include:
Charles Kingsley Barrett, D.W. Bowett, Mark Blaug, A.D. Deyermond, Jonathon Driver, J.P.W. Ehrman, Peter Fraser, Norman Hampson, Ann (Nancy) Lambton, John McManners, Basil George Mitchell, Ralegh Radford, Edward Ullendorff.

Their scholarship ranged over the humanities and social science disciplines, including subjects as diverse as: Semitic studies, Persian studies, French history, economics, archaeology, philosophy, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.