As the number of people of pensionable age continues to grow, government policy throughout Europe is concerned with tackling the problem of old age. Against such a background, this book examines the experience of being old from the inside out, from the point of view of people who are themselves old. Drawing on fieldwork originally carried out in the South Wales Valleys, it looks at such issues as social networks, (in)dependence and gender in old age, exploring the elements of continuity and change in terms of individual life history. It asks the question: to what extent can old age be said to be a disjunction, a time apart, from the life stages that have preceded it? The findings are compared and contrasted with literature from other societies both in the developed and developing world and it is hoped that the rich insights which emerge can inform policy-makers and health and welfare professionals engaged in the field of old age.