People are now living well into their seventies, eighties, and even beyond. A tribute to medicine, the trend is also a challenge for governments as the costs of healthcare and retirement continue to grow. But is this really a new trend? And is it a serious problem? This history of old age in England challenges many contemporary assumptions about aging and its role in culture. Tracing the experiences of older people back two thousand years, it shows that in fact there were large numbers of vigorous older people in many periods and that they often made important contributions to their families, friends, and society at large. After discussion of the modern experience of old age, when mass retirement has become the norm, the book argues that we can continue to expect the benefits of an aging society to far outweigh the costs.