Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century Britain

This is certainly a scholarly volume with hundreds of facts and interesting observations , I found the writing style easy to follow and engage with. I loved the links at the end of each section that reference places and objects that can be seen today. Highly recommended !!

I found this book a little hard going. It is organised a little lie text book, and would certainly be of use to a student learning about the social history of the British 18th century. The book extends back and forward from that period too, so covers a lot of ground, but in no great depth - the Jacobite risings get only a few pages, the loss/independence of the American colonies still less.For the general reader the book gives an impression of the times, and although there is a lot information in the nearly 400 pages of narrative, the writing style isn't conducive to deep engagement with the book, and I found myself going back over some pages as I hadn't absorbed the information properly. Still there is a lot here, and plenty to stimulate further more in depth reading

Ideal book for people who is interested in Georgian era and Georgian designs, culture, art, architecture...thanks to Yale University Press

I recently observed in a review of another book (Judith Flanders' 'Consuming passions') that the apparently copious illustrations, some in colour, were all left out of the Kindle version, a detail - hardly minor - of which would-be purchasers were not advised. I appreciate that illustrations even just in bl/wh are not a strong point on Kindles, but to be deprived of them totally, and without warning? Having first bought - and instantly returned - the kindle version of that book, I ended up buying the hard copy instead.So I'm pleased to find that illustrations ARE included in the Kindle version of Corfield's 'The Georgians', but only, of course, in black/white; in the hard copy they are both bl/wh and in colour, and of course much better in visual quality.Yet the price for the kindle version is barely less than for the hardback... [That was back in 2022. Editing this review in Oct 2023, I'm pleased to see that the kindle price has dropped]Perhaps you're wondering how I knew, without having even seen the book, that some illustrations are in colour? I had to search an online library catalogue, the better of which include such data. This, Amazon habitually does not: whether kindle or hard copy, we are told the size of a book according to the number of pages, but nothing about illustrations. How difficult is it to append: 'ill., some col.' to the pagination details? It's a darn sight more useful than all the woffle we're instead given about file sizes, page flip etc etc.So that is why I have only awarded 3 stars. If amazon's policy allows, I may be back with a proper, probably 5-star, review of 'The Georgians' at a later date: though I have barely started it, from what I have read so far I expect it to be fascinating. However, I thought I'd write this headsup immediately about what you get for your money, whether kindle or hardcopy. Buyer beware...

Very good a must read

I am very well read (literature & history) but I somehow just didn’t connect with the writing style which I found dry and stodgy, quite academic and almost patronising in places. I think for most it would be fine but just not for me. It’s extremely rare I abandon reading a book, but I did with this one.

As a reviewer, I’m often given free electronic copies of books and Penelope J. Corfield’s book, The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century Britain, was one such book, given to me by the publisher through NetGalley. However, I have only subsequently purchased a physical copy of the book on two occasions – why would I, if I have a free one? However, I think the Georgians will be #3. I want this book on my bookshelf. It left me stunned. How can one person, even an Emeritus Professor like Corfield, know so much about so many topics – and have the skill to fit them together in this highly, highly readable Rubik’s cube? She admits in the introduction that the book has taken many years to complete and I can believe it. I have seldom read a book that covers so much so well.The book comprises five parts:I. The Georgian Debating an Age of ChangeII. The Georgians Experiencing Change in Daily LifeIII. The Georgians Ruling and ResistingIV. The Georgians in Social FermentV. The Georgians Viewed LongOh, and approximately sixty pages of erudite endnotes.As can be deduced from that structure, Corfield shows us how things changed over the long eighteenth century, illustrating points with the stories of individuals; citing books; and at the end of each chapter, suggesting further reading; a list of places to visit in person or online; and even a Youtube performance of The Rivals. She makes the point that Georgians were aware of change and were keen to share their views about it was for better or worse. Corfield goes back to sources and debunks several myths.Based upon Corfield’s book, my belief is that the reason it’s so interesting to look back and study the Georgian Age was because, as she states, the numbers of both men and women who were literate and numerate overtook – for the first time in Britain’s history – the numbers of the illiterate and innumerate. That increase in people who COULD write translated to an increase in the numbers who DID write – and hence we have so much more evidence of contemporary thoughts and beliefs than we do for previous ages. But it is such a comprehensive book and so well argued that you might have a different view – and so might I, the next time I read it. And I shall re-read it, probably several times – and certainly keep it as my “go to” reference book for ALL aspects of life from the 1690s to the 1830s.#TheGeorgians #NetGalley

This book comes in at 389 pages, plus endnotes and it covers a lot of ground. It's takes in a very broad sweep of history and as such it's not especially deep in any area. However, you do get a wonderful view of the bigger picture, the trends and a feel for the whole. As such it's definitely worth reading. It makes a good companion piece to Colley's work, or more specialist books. I enjoyed it.

Detailed and well written.