Book excerpt: An historical introduction to the varieties of citizenship in Britain, starting in the Middle Ages and bringing the story right up to the present day. Both the status and understanding of citizenship in practice and the theoretical and advisory writings on the subject are introduced, and their inter-relationships are explored. Organised chronologically, each chapter is divided into sections in order to present the reader with different themes in a manageable form. The focus throughout is on accessibility, with no previous knowledge of the subject being assumed.