**Intact Gift Giving Condition book**

A 'militia' is an informal military organisation made up of part-time civilians rather than professionals. The militia was a key institution in Georgian England, and arguably one that was very characteristic of its age. As an island, Britain had historically relied on forces of this type for home defence, but threats of a French invasion during the Seven Years War (1756-63) highlighted that the militia had fallen into disrepair and prompted calls for its revival. In this important new study, Matthew McCormack re-examines the debates on the militia, and argues that this military reform was informed and driven by concerns about politics, nationalism, and gender.