This scholarly edition investigates the cultural and political significance of the early 18th-century periodical The Tatler within the context of British social history. Richard C. Steele provides a rigorous examination of the original texts, contextualizing the essays through extensive commentary and historical apparatus. The work serves as a definitive resource for understanding the development of the periodical press and the intellectual climate of the Enlightenment era.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this edition as a foundational text for the study of 18th-century journalism and satire. The academic density of the prose and the thoroughness of the annotations make it a primary reference for researchers in the field.