An Elegant Madness: A Social History of the Regency Period 1788-1820 - Hardcover

Murray, Venetia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 067088328X ISBN 13: 9780670883288

Publisher: Viking, 1999

Synopsis

Contemporary cartoons and diary entries are used to chronicle Regency England, from 1788 to 1820, capturing the scandals, vulgarity, romance, and social turmoil of the period

About this title

From the Back Cover:

THE REGENCY was one of the most romantic and turbulent ages in British history. Spanning the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, it was an era that witnessed unprecedented industrial progress, artistic accomplishment, violent social unrest, and -- paradoxically -- the most sparkling social scene English high society has ever enjoyed. Under the influence of the excessively fat, loose-moraled Prince of Wales (to whom Jane Austen dedicated Emma), the Regency became the very apex of British decadence. It was a time of lavish parties, ferocious gossip, relentless bed-hopping, and notorious gambling that set a standard for elegance and vulgarity. Venetia Murray uses original material from the archives at Windsor including dozens of contemporary accounts, diaries, letters, memoirs, and menus, as well as rare cartoons and prints, to evoke the period in vivid, delicious detail. At the same time she provides a subtle, smart analysis of the political and economic undercurrents of the social whirl. With many frothy pleasures and unexpected bite, An Elegant Madness is a book that readers will want to devour.

About the Author:

Venetia Murray worked as a journalist, writing for many major periodicals and newspapers, and published three novels before concentrating on social history. Her previous works of non-fiction include Echoes of the East End and Castle Howard: The Life and Times of a Stately Home, a three hundred year history of the castle that was the setting for Brideshead Revisited. She lives in Wiltshire, England.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 067088328X
• ISBN 13: 9780670883288
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336