For centuries, England’s counties have been imagined as fixed, ancient, clearly defined units. Yet their real history is far more complex. The Making of England’s Counties uncovers the true evolution of shires and counties, from Anglo-Saxon origins and medieval jurisdictions to the patchwork of liberties, counties corporate, exclaves, and peculiar boundaries that endured into the modern era.

Drawing on legal, administrative, and cartographic history, the book shows why no single 'standard...