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A Brief History of Life in Victorian Britain

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A Brief History of Life in Victorian Britain

By: Michael Paterson
Narrated by: Mark Meadows
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About this listen

How a nation grew into an empire and the birth of a modern society

The Victorian era has dominated the popular imagination like no other period, but these myths and stories also give a very distorted view of the 19th century. The early Victorians were much stranger than we usually imagine, and their world would have felt very different from our own. It was only during the long reign of the Queen that a modern society emerged in unexpected ways.

Using character portraits, events, and key moments, Paterson brings the real life of Victorian Britain alive - from the lifestyles of the aristocrats to the lowest ranks of the London slums. This includes the right way to use a fan, why morning visits were conducted in the afternoon, what the Victorian family ate, and how they enjoyed their free time, as well as the Victorian legacy today: convenience food, coffee bars, window shopping, mass media, and celebrity culture.

©2012 Michael Paterson (P)2012 Audible Ltd 20th Century Europe Great Britain Modern England Funny Middle Ages

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Critic reviews

"Out of the babble of voices, Michael Paterson has been able to extract the essence of London itself. Read this book and re-enter the labyrinth of a now-ancient city." (Peter Ackroyd)
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The chapters are arranged thematically so that thd 64 years in question are treated alternatively from many perspectives.
Very enjoyable book from which I learned much.

Delightful, sympathetic and well organised

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A beautiful book that puts you in the shoes of the worker, the rising middle class and the aristocracy of Victorian Britain. You will learn about Victorian culture, economics, literature, technology and even war. You get a new understanding and appreciation of Victoria and her realm with this book.

Shows all aspects of Victoria life

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A very informative and enjoyable book. It is well read and well paced - would recommend as a start into exploring the victorian world.

An interesting introduction into Victorian society

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A good historical work on Victorian Britain, clearly well researched, and very well read. My only problem was the book became stodgy in places. But still readable and enjoyable. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the Victorians or as a one of many source books for students.

What Vicky knew.

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I found this book very interesting with lots of information, quite a few nuggets too that were completely unknown to me before. I found it did not flow perfectly in places but the narrator was very good which I felt made up for this. Had the narrator not been as good I may have given up after early on.

Very Interesting

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