This diary gives a vivid picture of life in a Yorkshire village between the Napoleonic Wars and the Victorian era. Robert Sharp, schoolmaster, observed the affairs of the village and the lives of his fellow-villagers with wry humour and affection. He also gives a contemporary view, at the local level, of events of national and international importance. The editors of this readable and informative diary have done a first-class job, with extensive explanatory notes and a long introduction about the diarist, his Wolds village, and the times in which he lived. This account of rural life is of far more than parochial interest, for it shows how aware of national concerns country people were and how their lives were affected by events beyond their control.