Based on the first edition ofHard Times,this extensively annotated edition includes a lively introduction and helpful notes on cultural references, social and political mores, and literary allusioons.  It includes a timeline, linking Dicken's life to significant historical events, as well as a guide to further reading.   Handsomely produced and affordably priced, the Longman Cultural Editions series presents classic works in provocative and illuminating contexts-cultural, critical, and literary. Each Cultural Edition consists of the complete text of an important literary work, reliably edited, headed by an inviting introduction, and supplemented by helpful annotations; a table of dates to track its composition, publication, and public reception in relation to biographical, cultural, and historical events; and a guide for further inquiry and study.