This book examines a hitherto neglected aspect of the War of American Independence, providing the first wide-ranging exploration of the impact of this conflict upon the economy, society, and culture of the British Isles. Stephen Conway sheds new light on recent debates about the war-waging efficiency of the British state and on the role of war in the creation of a British national identity. This is a probing account of the profound impact of the war which further challenges the established model of eighteenth-century wars as being 'limited' in the demands and effects.