James C. Riley is Distinguished Professor of History at Indiana University in Bloomington. He is the author of several books, including Rising Life Expectancy: A Global History (Cambridge, 2001) and Sick, Not Dead: The Health of British Workingmen during the Mortality Decline (1997). He is contributor to journals such as Population Studies, the American Historical Review, and the Journal of Interdisciplinary History. He is a recipient of research awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Institutes of Health.
1. 'A singular blessed island'
2. What needs to be explained?
3. The situation around 1920
4. Rapid gains in life expectancy, 1920-50
5. The good years, 1950-72
6. Against growing odds, 1972-2000
7. Conclusion
Appendix 1. Estimates of life expectancy, 1881-1964
Appendix 2. Official sources for quantitative information.
