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Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire Paperback – January 16, 2001

by Amanda Foreman (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,111 ratings
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The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British aristocracy and the intimate story of a woman who for a time was its undisputed leader.

Lady Georgiana Spencer was the great-great-great-great-aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, and was nearly as famous in her day. In 1774, at the age of seventeen, Georgiana achieved immediate celebrity by marrying one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats, the Duke of Devonshire. Launched into a world of wealth and power, she quickly became the queen of fashionable society, adored by the Prince of Wales, a dear friend of Marie-Antoinette, and leader of the most important salon of her time. Not content with the role of society hostess, she used her connections to enter politics, eventually becoming more influential than most of the men who held office.

Her good works and social exploits made her loved by the multitudes, but Georgiana's public success, like Diana's, concealed a personal life that was fraught with suffering. The Duke of Devonshire was unimpressed by his wife's legendary charms, preferring instead those of her closest friend, a woman with whom Georgiana herself was rumored to be on intimate terms. For over twenty years, the three lived together in a jealous and uneasy ménage à trois, during which time both women bore the Duke's children—as well as those of other men.

Foreman's descriptions of Georgiana's uncontrollable gambling, all- night drinking, drug taking, and love affairs with the leading politicians of the day give us fascinating insight into the lives of the British aristocracy in the era of the madness of King George III, the American and French revolutions, and the defeat of Napoleon.

A gifted young historian whom critics are already likening to Antonia Fraser, Amanda Foreman draws on a wealth of fresh research and writes colorfully and penetratingly about the fascinating Georgiana, whose struggle against her own weaknesses, whose great beauty and flamboyance, and whose determination to play a part in the affairs of the world make her a vibrant, astonishingly contemporary figure.
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  1. Print length
    456 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Random House Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    January 16, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.19 x 1.18 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0375753834
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0375753831
  8. See all details
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4.2 out of 5 stars
1,111 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides fascinating insights into the lives of high-powered players of the 18th century. They enjoy reading it and find it compelling and fun. The character development is described as interesting and well-crafted. Readers appreciate the vivid portrayal of an unusual woman with a kind of dignity, strength, flair, intellect, and beauty. While some find the pacing easy to read and easy to follow, others feel it's slow at times.

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Information qualityEnjoymentCharacter developmentBeautySturdinessPacing
98 customers mention "Information quality"88 positive10 negative

Customers find the book provides interesting insights into the lives of high-powered players in the 18th century. They appreciate the well-researched content, including letters from Georgiana and others. The book is described as a major work of history and an engaging read on political life in England at the time.

"...She had a kind of dignity, strength, flair, intellect, and beauty of course, that one does not rarely come across. You will fall in love with her...." Read more

"...She had the political foresight to see the trends and people who would lay the foundation for Great Britain’s domination...." Read more

"...Extraordinary in its detail of the period it is both a major work of the history of the. Age and a scrumptious treat!..." Read more

"Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, is the biography of a most unusual woman. It is well researched and highly informative...." Read more

63 customers mention "Enjoyment"54 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy reading the book. They find it compelling, informative, and enjoyable. The biography is described as well-researched and a great read.

"...level, but it reads like a novel, thick with atmosphere, pulling you along with passion. This book is on my "treasures" shelf." Read more

"...Age and a scrumptious treat! A perfect companion to the excellent film staring. Kiera. Knightley and the great. Ralph. Fiennes. Luv, diana" Read more

"If you are a history buff and enjoy biographies, this is a great book...." Read more

"...I REALLY enjoyed reading this book. The Duchess is a fascinating woman of her time...." Read more

28 customers mention "Character development"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the character development interesting and inspiring. They appreciate the author's portrayal of Georgiana as an intriguing person. The book fleshes out the historical characters and provides authentic stories.

"Cheers! In the preface to her brilliant biography. Amanda. Foreman writes it is the destiny for biographers to fall in love with their subjects...." Read more

"...Such was the chore in reading this book. Georgiana is an intriguing person, and that's to the credit of Georgiana and less so the author...." Read more

"...This allowed the author to construct a facinating, multifaceted chronicle of Georgiana's life...." Read more

"This serious biographical study of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire in the late 18th century, invites us to look behind the public face...." Read more

17 customers mention "Beauty"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's in-depth look at an interesting woman. They find it vivid and well-researched, with nice pictures inside. The portrait is lovely and a rich, nuanced view of British aristocracy in the 17th century.

"...She had a kind of dignity, strength, flair, intellect, and beauty of course, that one does not rarely come across. You will fall in love with her...." Read more

"...Age and a scrumptious treat! A perfect companion to the excellent film staring. Kiera. Knightley and the great. Ralph. Fiennes. Luv, diana" Read more

"...There are several pictures of Georgiana and some of her friends. Some of the political cartoons depicting Georgiana are also included." Read more

"...G’s humanity is described in the most refreshing way. It’s lovely to witness." Read more

5 customers mention "Sturdiness"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's sturdiness and good condition. They find it well-maintained and nice.

"...She had a kind of dignity, strength, flair, intellect, and beauty of course, that one does not rarely come across. You will fall in love with her...." Read more

"I was pleased to receive a well maintained used book that was in excellent condition." Read more

"...She was a strong woman but so mistreated ! Duchess Catherine and Princess Diana certainly carry in some of Georgiana's strong character traits!!" Read more

"I love this book and it was in great condition. I love history books so this made my day. The pictures inside were very nice." Read more

47 customers mention "Pacing"30 positive17 negative

Customers have differing views on the pacing of the book. Some find it well-written and easy to read, like a novel. Others find it slow, hard to follow at times, and wordy. The book is considered well-researched but not an easy read.

"...You will fall in love with her. The this book is so fabulously well written -- the research is on the micro level, but it reads like a novel, thick..." Read more

"...of Lady Elizabeth Foster as the "villainess" of the story doesn't ring true...." Read more

"Beautifully written biography. One of the most fascinating biographies I have had the pleasure to read...." Read more

"...However, I do easily recognise a well reseached and written story. I REALLY enjoyed reading this book...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Susan K. Noel
    5.0 out of 5 stars a Beautiful & Powerful Woman -- beautifully written
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of my favorite books in the world. So far I've read it three times. It lays out a very interesting period in history, in England and France on the cusp of the revolution. Anyone who loves fashion and would like to know how fashion trends were invented, needs to read this book. Georgina was truly one of a kind. She was betrayed by everyone she trusted, she campaigned for political struggles (always for men of course, but no woman had ever done that before), and she was often alone in the world. She had a kind of dignity, strength, flair, intellect, and beauty of course, that one does not rarely come across. You will fall in love with her. The this book is so fabulously well written -- the research is on the micro level, but it reads like a novel, thick with atmosphere, pulling you along with passion. This book is on my "treasures" shelf.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Rick Mayo
    4.0 out of 5 stars Foundations for Diana
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Georgiana was a woman well ahead of her time. She had the political foresight to see the trends and people who would lay the foundation for Great Britain’s domination. Her insight and instincts were spot on.
    The duchesses good and bad traits were presented even-handedly. Her marriage was more than a show but it was evident that she was the moral head of the home. Yet her domination of home affairs caused strong rifts between herself, children and parent.
    Bess is another story though. This relationship was bizarre at best. The Duke’s affair with her and Georgiana’s acceptance of it and her children make this a portion of history that may remain hidden forever.
    Someone who wants to learn of the growth of the English empire and its foundation would benefit greatly from this book. The epilogue neatly died up the storyline but left some questions unanswered. Why did the Duke marry Bess? Where was the life Harryo was raised to attain? What was Hart’s eventual reconciliation with his mother’s memory? Who was Little G’s true inspiration?
    4 people found this helpful
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  • diane fanizza
    5.0 out of 5 stars great history served as a delicious dessert
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Cheers! In the preface to her brilliant biography. Amanda. Foreman writes it is the destiny for biographers to fall in love with their subjects. In this amazingly researched portrait of. Georgiana. Duchess of. Devonshire(an ancestor of our. Diana. Princess of. Wales. Ms. Foreman paints an incredibly detailed portrait of a complex and important figure of the 18th century. British aristocracy. In an era of great political, social and artistic upheaval. Georgiana was a major force both as a fashionable icon and disciple of. Women's. Rights. Her turbulent private life with her adulturous husband the. Duke of. Devonshire reads like the most fascinating romantic fiction. Extraordinary in its detail of the period it is both a major work of the history of the. Age and a scrumptious treat! A perfect companion to the excellent film staring. Kiera. Knightley and the great. Ralph. Fiennes. Luv, diana
    3 people found this helpful
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  • walrif Kamil
    3.0 out of 5 stars Georgiana: A chronology of known facts
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This book read as a collection of facts, which is fine if that's how the book is presented. However, the book was clearly presented in the introduction with the viewpoint that, while historians had judged Georgiana as charismatic but flighty, Foreman saw another side of Georgiana and found her to be courageous and vulnerable. Throughout her book, Foreman presents little evidence to support her conclusions. Most facts could have gone either way, and the entire time I felt that Georgiana was most certainly flighty in every aspect of her life, and only vulnerable in the sense that she was a woman forced into a loveless marriage. Georgiana was the crux of her own misfortunes. We don't know why she continues to spiral, nor do we really understand why she doesn't take a more concerted effort to stop herself when she clearly knows certain things are detrimental to her marriage and privilege. Foreman tries to explain it by suggesting that Georgiana was a victim of Bess, who took advantage of Georgiana's kindness. I never got the sense from Georgiana that she regretted her generosity to befriend Bess, which leads me to suspect that either Georgiana is supremely weak-minded and is a pushover, or that she actually supported Bess -- neither of these conclusions are in line with the author's conclusions. It's still hard for me to grasp who Georgiana actually was. Maybe that's her point, but it could have been presented in a better manner.

    My other issue with the writing of this book is that it trivializes a lot of really juicy topics that could have been expanded upon. One example was in the paragraph in which Foreman explains that Georgiana's correspondences about discovering the affair between Bess and the Duke had been lost/destroyed. Foreman then quickly jumps into the next chronological event in their lives instead of writing a paragraph about Foreman's expectations as to how she expected Georgiana to have reacted based on all the evidence gathered. We also don't get much information about the more scandalous, behind-hidden-doors lifestyle of Georgiana - her affair with Grey lived and died within two pages. I didn't even get the sense there was a single private meeting between the two until it was revealed that she was pregnant. Such was the chore in reading this book. Georgiana is an intriguing person, and that's to the credit of Georgiana and less so the author.

    I did enjoy the author's depiction of the Whig and Tory rivalry, but I agree with some others that it sometimes went overboard with the details. I found the side characters to be much more real and interesting: Prince Charles, Marie Antoinette, Lady Spencer. I particularly enjoyed the section about Georgiana's visit to France during the French Revolution. What a fascinating time to be a fly on the wall.

    Lastly, the editing is poor. It was as if someone finished their dissertation and let it be published. There are spelling mistakes, and more importantly, incorrect spacing that makes it confusing as to whether you were reading text or a correspondence.
    13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • M. Blulle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quick and efficient delivery
    Reviewed in France on September 23, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Beautiful book edition which I received on time and in perfect condition.
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  • Mausumi Bandyopadhyay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
    Reviewed in India on October 30, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Amazing. Must read for someone who likes period history.
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  • carla signorini
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Feminist , ante litteram
    Reviewed in Italy on May 5, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    When British biographers write works about a famous personage , be prepared for a detailed work , which may appear, most of the times, long winded and full of minutia. This is the case with this biography which takes the reader into a world of political conspiracy , canvassing and feuds. Love affairs and homosexual liaisons are also hinted at , without details , which testifies to the seriousness of the work which is not looking for sensationalism .
    A good piece of work, especially for people who, like me, like lives of famous characters against historical backgrounds .
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  • Elizabeth Dokulil
    4.0 out of 5 stars History on a famous lady
    Reviewed in Australia on July 2, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The author gave you an insight as to what titled ladies had to endure.

    Even though they had money, status and influence they had to toe the line laid down forewoman in their position.
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  • Lise Sirois
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love the book
    Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Really good story and well documented with pictures and drawings from that period. All the politics, the families, the friends, I'm reading like a novel but it's a biography. I will soon try to watch the movie.
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