This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide- ranging account of the impact of this eighteenth-century conflict upon the politics, economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. The author examines the level of military participation - which was much greater than is usually appreciated - and explores the war's effects on subjects as varied as parliamentary reform, religious toleration, and attitudes to empire. The book casts new light upon recent debate about the war-waging efficiency of the British state and the role of war in the creation of a sense of 'Britishness'. The thematic chapters are supplemented by local case-studies of six very different communities the length and breadth of the British Isles.