The Victorian Circle: Family and Friends

In the 40 years that would elapse between the death of Prince Albert and the death of Victoria, the Queen built a whole new circle of friends, family, and advisers to take his place. Ministers came and went; children grew up and married and moved away, new friends came and went. But some very old friends endured.  In the 40 years, a new independent woman was born and this woman created a new role for the monarch of England. Take note of the great biographies that are available for Peel and Palmerston.

RECOMMENDED READING

This new history of the whole of Britain in the 19th century is a political history. It is pure politics and therefore Cannadine can devote great detail to each period. So during the quarter, if you want more information on the prime ministers and the parties it is this book that now furnishes all that information. It is a great work of history but it is too dry to sit down and read all the way through. But it is a perfect reference book for all of us on any political question.

This wonderful book by Christopher Hibbert will be useful to us all year. Hibbert is one of greatest "popular" historians, meaning that he writes books you want to read. Many of you have used his great one-volume history of the Medici as well as his excellent History of Rome, History of Florence, and History of Venice.Many of us used his excellent biography of Mussolini last year in the Modern Italy class. IN this book, Hibbert takes us all through Victorian society. We have not made it "required" but we are sure you will enjoy it if you buy it and read it.