Customer Reviews

Victorian London

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This is the fourth book the author has written on the history of London. The others dealt with Elizabethan, Restoration, and Dr. Johnson's London. Much as its predecessors, this volume on early Victorian London is a treasure and a delight to read. While the author focuses upon some of the physical aspects of the city (i.e., rivers, streets, buildings), the book really is much more concerned with the daily life of the city during the (1840-1870) period, and that is its great strength. Therefore, there are chapters for example on poverty, the class system, domestic service (a hard way to go), houses and gardens, food, clothing (surprisingly interesting), health, the Crystal Palace exhibition, education, religion and death. The author's research is extensive and she really knows the city. Her discussion is very informal and breezy to read--almost as if one were sitting across from her at tea time. The abundant illustrations add greatly to the narrative. This is apparently the finale of her series--this is too bad, for volumes on the late Victorian and Edwardian periods would have been of great value as well.

I've read almost every book in print on London social history, so I thought no author could hold my attention on this topic, yet Liza Picard's book was a delight to read, as she put a new spin on well-tread ground.

The author covers every conceivable aspect: the infrastructure, daily lives of all social classes, and every other topic you can think of. Liza Picard puts a special emphasis on the perspective of Victorian women. This was an era when the only way a woman could have a reasonable life was to marry someone who could support her; women defined "a good marriage" far more generously than they do today. The options open to an unmarried woman - even a well-educated woman - were incredibly bleak.

Every chapter provides unexpected tidbits of historical trivia, such as the fact that London homes had a mail delivery every hour for twelve hours per day, which also gives a clue about the typical workday. In this book, no leaf has been left unturned, yet the prose flows very smoothly in a tightly organized structure. The 23 chapter headings are: Smells [sewers], river, streets, railways, buildings, practicalities, destitution, working class, middle class, upper class, domestic service, houses, food, clothes, health, amusements, The Great Exhibition, The Crystal Palace, education, women, crimes, religion, and death. There are 45 illustrations, mostly period drawings, some in color.

Ms. Picard is 79 at this time, and the biographical blurb says this completes her series of four books on London social history. Surely she isn't thinking of retirement? There is plenty of scope for a fifth book and beyond.

Liza Picard opens up this book To Londoners, but I can safely add to history lovers, tourist and anyone fascinated with this Victorian era for the years of 1840-1870 there is simply a wealth of information about the social everyday life of Londoners. For all modern day Londoners living the life no need to look down at the pavement on your daily drudge to work because after reading this book you may look up and have thoughts of enlightenment and wonder. This era gives you an account of how you came to travel the underground so next time you hear that automated voice over at the station "This train is delayed, due to the previous train being delayed.. and so on" for clarification, the delay started back in the 19th century. Victorian buildings you may pass were a base from which a great idea was formed, everything is right before our very eyes, this book welcomes us back to a fascinating city.

I'm firstly going to bring everyone into the lay out and expectations when reading through. Incredibly researched, primary sources have been used but its been investigated much much further for detail. Its then I would say been divided into themed references and then themes form chapters, each broken down into many small sub-sections. Themes: Buildings, the river, the streets, working, middle, upper classes and royalty, domestic service, poverty, railway, Crystal Palace at Sydenham, Great Exhibition, health, fashions, language, food, and so on. Theme example: Under Practicalities: The postal services, subs: the stamp introduction, letterboxes, post offices when the first uniforms were worn and fashion ect ect. This builds up an image in the mind, of people, a place, an area and a sense of time in an observant way. Letters left behind of those times which is about real peoples lives, voices from all walks of life, at the workhouses, a ladies maid, the upper class as they sit down to dinner or a butler who kept a diary for a year noting his daily grind. These voices form and produce a much more vivid picture as we follow through the book.

Smell: Pick the worst smell you can think of and hold that thought because that is the odor you'll be walking around London with before a sewerage system was devised. Once the sewers were in place the book explains in detail the trails and tribulations, first problems it caused water pipes and sewers were run to close together and how the matter was resolved, the huge overhaul, which saved lives. We then go on to costs, how much to have a lavatory installed, the flush system that were put into a middle class family home. It made for a dramatic change to a bustling city and an idea used in others cities around the world.

1840 -1870 the dwellers of London were thriving with new ideas and invention during the Victorian age these were the years London was ripped apart to make way for railway lines and stations even showing the first congestion of traffic as London came to a stand still while this upheaval took place but again the outcome, it generated work or allowed people in every day life to travel to locations they had only heard of. A man named Thomas Cook set up a business venture in 1841 and made his first deal with the railways, trips were organized in groups and were made cost effective. known in those days as the Thomas Cook Excursions in 1851 he was a successful entrepreneur making it possible for people to travel far and wide, he was prepared at affordable prices to let many see with their own eyes the Great Exhibition.

Liza Picard has added a sense of humor everywhere in this book from mens latest fashion in beards and dress entire, hat problems at the opera or ladies fashion problems when getting on the omnibuses. We are also given a crash course by leaflets issued at that time on the art of fainting, corsets being tight to the point of not breathing, "make sure there's a couch behind you if you feel you must faint, we can't always rely on a gentleman to lunge and catch". The Marriage certificate was framed and used to decorate the wall at home in the 1850's...... how many would go up if that came back into fashion today?

We go into schools looking at education, we also look at religion, places for amusement, prisons, crime, punishment even death and cemeteries the information is plenty and sometimes surprising. This books recreates the industries, inventions and London life with all its many sides, splendor, misery, cruelty, vices or pleasures all the while keeping it entertaining you also have illustrations showing this extraordinary age. I can honestly say I learnt much from this book and thoroughly enjoyed every minuet. Congratulations Liza Picard has my attention and I will be looking at other books written.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in this History era

Andrea Bowhill

I love this book. Just to let you know that up front.

This is a marvelous history of London, the city and the people, from 1840 to 1870. Picard writes in a familiar, casual style what is was like to be in the city during those years. You can get a sense of the style of the book by just listing the first few chapter titles: "Smells", "The River", "The Streets", "The Railways", "Buildings", "Practicalities", etc. Picard relates fascinating details with superb storytelling skills. The book reads as if some well educated close friend was telling you about the city with evident knowledge, but with a distinct desire not to bore or become too tied down in trivia.

I very much recommend this book to those who wish to learn more about England and her people, but also to anyone who has a desire to read a very well written non-fiction book.

I really enjoy the Victorian Era and this book, really explores the life and times of those who lived in Victorian London. From sewers to crime, the author covers what life was life, and how the people lived, and what customs and society expected of them. For instance, I was surprised to learn that in Victorian England people kept pigs in their basements, and prisoners were forced in some prisons to push a giant wheel. My favorite parts were those about domestic service, cooking and the parts about Victoria and Albert.

This is a must-read for Victorian-philes.

Long awaited,finally published,immediately ordered-I LOVE IT !
As with Picard's three earlier works,the amount of total immersion in the period,that the reader can experience,is a quality hallmark.
I can,without too much trouble,read textbooks on these subjects,but,as I am not professinally engaged in history-why should I?
Picard's approach is a lot more fun,her fine british humour,her understatements,but also her undisputable knowledge and perfectionism,make this a worthy pillar in her hitherto published work.
It is pure,undiluted JOY !