I loved this book. A perfect "lightweight" history book for reading on the subway or at the beach. It is very fun to read, and it focuses on the nobility instead of the general culture at large, which I liked very much. Most of her conclusions are drawn from primary sources, so although the historiography may be heavily weighted on a few select sources, there is no reason why other reviewers should attack the book by claiming it is innacurate. History is an interperative discipline, and Ms. Murrays book is one more interpretation of the Regency Period. If you enjoy English History you will probably enjoy this book.
Ive been curious about this book ever since reading all these hot-tempered reviews on Amazon. Im a university student with a researching streak, and found an older copy of this book in the stacks. Finals, you know -- what better time to research something completely unrelated to your work. Now: The Good: witty, anecdotal, and really brings across a real love of the period. The Bad: the schizophrenic indexing, the unprofessional mistakes. Now, you have to ask yourself, whats more important to you: accuracy or readability? Ive read any Regency England history book I can get my hands on at my university library. Many of them, quite frankly, are written in a torpid, dull manner that completely fails to do homage to the spirit of the Regency period. This book has been criticized for being inaccurate. True. Now get over it. It has also been criticized for depicting unpleasant people. Because apparently the Regency was a time of sweetness and light? Because those were the Good Olde Days? Please. The sinners at least have more fun, and had better clothes. Murrays book is bright, sharp, smart, effervescent, and ironic, just like the period it depicts. Im usually a stickler for accuracy in historical novels, but Murrays voice makes up for it. She comes across as an intelligent witness, winking at the reader before she dashes off to relate another wonderfully gossipy tale. This book is not 100% correct, yes, but any true afficionado would probably read other books in the same vein as well as go over some primary resources. And for the novice or visitor, they are still going to come away with a clear understanding of the era and a small percentage of its people. In the end, youll enjoy and youll learn, and if you want more (and its hard to imagine anyone not wanting more), you can go read the very accurate, very dry stuff and derive the gossip on your own. All in all an interesting work. Dont let the critics get ya down.
Serious historians wont find much to peak their interest in this gossip-ladden review of the Regency period, but lay readers will find it an interesting and entertaining read. The research supposedly comes from original sources, including newspaper columns about the foibles and follies of the haute ton. Admist the many amusing anecdotes, the author tries to cover all aspects of daily living in England at the time. Unfortunately, the structure of the book is such that there is a lot of repetition and I had trouble keeping track of (and interested in) the various many members of society that kept reappearing. An amusing read, but not a definitive look at the era.
