* Gifted. A huge thank you to Rosie Crofts @what_rosie_read
from Pen and Sword for sending me this beautiful book to review, I am very
grateful!
Synopsis:
Experience life in Britain’s “long eighteenth-century” with
this collection of 25 real tales from history by the authors of An Infamous
Mistress.
Marvel at the Queen’s
Ass, gaze at the celestial heavens through the eyes of the past, and be amazed
by the equestrian feats of the Norwich Nymph. Journey to the debauched French
court at Versailles, travel to Covent Garden and take your seat in a box at the
theatre, and, afterwards, join the mile-high club in a new-fangled hot air
balloon. Meet actresses, whores and high-born ladies, politicians, inventors,
royalty, and criminals as we travel through the Georgian era in all its
glorious and gruesome glory.
In roughly chronological order, covering the reign of the
four Georges (1714-1830), and set within the framework of the main events of
the era, these tales are accompanied by over 100 stunning colour illustrations.
My Review:
All Things Georgian: Tales from the Long Eighteenth Century is full of all the drama, scandal, and gossip that I love about the long eighteenth-century. We meet a whole host of colourful characters in this superb book by Joanne Major and Sarah Murden, which is based on the author’s popular blog. It is roughly set out in chronological order of the Georgian Era. The book is packed with over 100 colour images of paintings and illustrations (many full page) which really help immerse you in the time period.
The fascinating tales in this book feature people from all walks of life and a lot of important topics are highlighted, such as: mental health, how women were treated in comparison to men, and how those that were perceived differently from the rest of society were put on exhibition. Tales include Sarah Wallen - a bonesetter, Sir Joseph Banks the lothario, the story of Lady Wilbrahammon - who managed to fool people into believing she was a gentlewoman and duped them into giving her money. We also briefly journey over to Versailles, to visit the ill-fated Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Other stories I particularly enjoyed were The Norwich Nymph: A Female Jockey, and the tragic story of Caroline Crachami: The Sicilian Fairy. I hadn’t previously heard of a lot of the tales in this book, which was refreshing. It was lovely to learn about new people from one of my favourite eras. Each story is relatively short, which makes it the perfect book to dip in and out of. I enjoyed reading them at the end of each day!
I can imagine that if you weren’t already enthralled by the 18th century, you certainly would be after reading this book! A lot of these people and their stories may otherwise have been lost to history and forgotten forever if Joanne and Sarah hadn’t included them in All Things Georgian: Tales from the Long Eighteenth Century. This book was an absolute joy to read and it would make an excellent Christmas gift. Pen and Sword books are always beautiful and of excellent quality.
Buy here
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