Queen Victoria [Paperback]

Dorothy Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 5, 2001

Queen Victoria came to the throne almost without resources, under threat from republicanism, in a period of social, political and economic turbulence. She died, having revived the failing image of the British monarchy, head of one of the world's richest families. Victoria was the first monarch in British history to combine the public role of head of state with the private one of wife and mother. Alone among married women she was not governed by laws which stipulated surrendering both name and fortune to one's husband. Yet she herself opposed the movement for women's rights.The complex effects of Victoria's gender on public attitudes and her own actions are brilliantly drawn out in this intriguing book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this biography of England's longest-reigning monarch, crowned at age 18 in 1837 to rule until her death in 190l, the person, not just the personage, emerges. The focus is on Victoria as devoted wife, mother of nine, grieving widow and the always self-assured queen-empress. Although proud of her feminism, she also relied on her husband, Prince Albert, and trusted male prime ministers to help her guide England to greatness. While on the whole dealing justly with the woman whose character won the affection and respect of her subjects, Thompson, a history lecturer at Birmingham University in England, diminishes the excellence of her book by repeating rumors of Victoria's affair with Scottish gillie John Brown.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A refreshing look at a woman who became a legend in her long lifetime. Thompson approaches Victoria's life from a feminist viewpoint, exploring her changing image in the eyes of a paternalistic British society: first the virginal child-queen, then the devoted young wife and mother, later the somewhat scandalous figure, and finally as the little old recluse in widow's black who was the symbol of a seemingly unchanging empire. The author digresses on occasion from Victoria's life into such broader subjects as the role of the monarchy in British society and the agitation for an end to that monarchy during the long years of her reign. Illustrated throughout with contemporary cartoons and prints, the book offers a fascinating and entertaining look at British history over the last half of the 19th century and a vivid portrait of the woman whose name and spirit dominated that era. This book will be well received by readers of British and European history and culture as well as by those looking for pleasure reading.
- Richard Lisker, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Virago (July 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860499120
• ISBN-13: 978-1860499128
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,238,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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