An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England

Product Description

The Regency period was one of the most turbulent ages in British history, one that spanned the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, that witnessed unprecedented industrial progress, artistic accomplishment, and violent social unrest and–paradoxically–the most sparkling social scene English high society has ever enjoyed. Under the influence of the obese, loose-moraled Prince of Wales (to whom
Jane Austen dedicated
Emma), the Regency was the apex of British decadence, an era of lavish parties and relentless bed-hopping that set a standard for elegance and vulgarity. With wit and lively style,
Venetia Murray chronicles the scandals, courtships, and daily life of these aristocrats, and evokes the tempestuous times of the early industrial and French revolutions. Sumptuously illustrated with rare contemporary cartoons, prints, diaries, and caricatures,
An Elegant Madness is a book readers of social history and historical romance alike will devour.

From the Back Cover

THE REGENCY was one of the most romantic and turbulent ages in British history. Spanning the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, it was an era that witnessed unprecedented industrial progress, artistic accomplishment, violent social unrest, and — paradoxically — the most sparkling social scene English high society has ever enjoyed. Under the influence of the excessively fat, loose-moraled Prince of Wales (to whom Jane Austen dedicated Emma), the Regency became the very apex of British decadence. It was a time of lavish parties, ferocious gossip, relentless bed-hopping, and notorious gambling that set a standard for elegance and vulgarity. Venetia Murray uses original material from the archives at Windsor including dozens of contemporary accounts, diaries, letters, memoirs, and menus, as well as rare cartoons and prints, to evoke the period in vivid, delicious detail. At the same time she provides a subtle, smart analysis of the political and economic undercurrents of the social whirl. With many frothy pleasures and unexpected bite, An Elegant Madness is a book that readers will want to devour.

About the Author

Venetia Murray worked as a journalist, writing for many major periodicals and newspapers, and published three novels before concentrating on social history. Her previous works of non-fiction include
Echoes of the East End and
Castle Howard: The Life and Times of a Stately Home, a three hundred year history of the castle that was the setting for
Brideshead Revisited. She lives in Wiltshire, England.