Albert

by Jules Stewart

Albert, prince consort to Queen Victoria and social and cultural visionary in his own right, defined the culture and direction of nineteenth century Britain—a superpower at the zenith of its influence—more than any other British royal or politician. The role he played in shaping Victorian culture stands today as indisputable proof of the enduring legacy of a man who spent just two decades of his short life in England. 

Though overshadowed in history by his adoring wife and at times even mocked by her subjects, it was arguably Albert who gave form and substance to the Victorian Age. From the outset, he strove to win “the respect, the love and the confidence of the Queen and of the nation,” pursuing an extraordinary social and cultural crusade that has become his greatest legacy. From the Great Exhibition and the construction of many of London’s great museums to his social campaigns against slavery and the Corn Laws, Albert’s achievements were truly remarkable—in fact, very few have made such a permanent mark on British society.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty, Victorian, Germany, 19th Century

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[John Bohnert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading this fascinating biography of Prince Albert.
I came to appreciate Albert while viewing the TV series "Victoria" on PBS.
I now admire Prince Albert even more.

[Amy Masonis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good, interesting...and then the straight up opinion that Victoria was nothing without Albert. I was angry by the last chapter. Albert seems to be a marvelous renaissance man all the way around...maybe he was hard on his children, maybe he was a great teacher that made his children more thoughtful and who loved learning. I don't know. But this book was repetitive and hard to keep track of the order of what happened when, so lacking editing. He disregarded 60+ years of a monarch who continued on 40 years after his death. Sure, I have my critique of that whole thing, but it still makes me want to make a dent in his smug disregard of a woman who may have learned a thing or two in the world.

[Gatley Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a LOT of 19th century British historical figures referenced in this novel. I am American, and basically only knew of Victoria going in. This book needs FREQUENT Wikipedia visits to be fully appreciated. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, the added background gives me a fuller understanding of the period as a whole and of Royalty.

While this book is about Albert, my central appreciation for it is how greatly it increased my knowledge of British and European general (especially geopolitical) history in the 19th century, and my knowledge of the daily life, traditions, beliefs, organization, and guidelines of European Nobility. I really appreciate how in-depth it is, having a heavy focus on personal dynamics. I appreciate the frequent use of primary source quotes. I love love love the insight into the “mundane” daily life, customs, and traditions of Royalty and 19th century political life. Customs, beliefs, and daily life are what make up a person, which is why I love the inclusion of so many seemingly mundane details, but it informs how customs and beliefs have changed over time.

Critiques:
I dislike Stewarts’ prose, it’s too grammatically tedious with frequent use of conditions and qualifiers, making his long sentences hard to keep track of.

He occasionally leaves out important context about the situations he’s referencing. Context like dates and backgrounds. Reading this from an American’s perspective you will need to read this in conjunction with many Wikipedia articles.

I wish the story was more rigidly linear. He’ll frequently reference anecdotes years ahead or in the past, making it difficult to keep track, especially for those without background knowledge.

[Mark Latchford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Albert’s influence is mapped out succinctly in this short biography published some years back. The writing is enjoyable but I am left with the impression the research is patchy at best. Some relationships explored well and other very superficially. I am surprised the author did not access the Royal Archives nor did he explore in depth the nuances of his relationship with Victoria not his children. It is a poor cousin the extraordinarily readable biography of Victoria by Julia Baird where substantial access to the Royal Archives and dynamic prose made a much much longer book a more enjoyable read. That said the more we know about Albert the better. An important figure in the 19th century world

[Barbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to a fascinating person. Basic non-fiction not terribly grabbing.

[Chris Fernandez-Packham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on HRH Prince Albert.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read more about Prince Albert. His many contributions were much more widespread than I realized. Ironically, I hust found out I finished this book 2 days before the anniversary of his 199th birthday. Ha!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this handed to me by a friend who had read it and thought I might find it interesting. Well, I did - with a "but."

This is a very readable biography; probably about the right length for me on someone like Prince Albert. I won't be searching out any of the three volume epics just yet. Mr Stewart clearly demonstrates the importance of Albert to Victorian life and the development of the political landscape in 19th century Britain. My main criticism is that the author is rather a sycophantic. At one point he comes close to saying we should really call the era Albertine rather than Victorian.

But for free, excellent!

[Carol D · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. I really wanted to read more about his personal life with Victoria and his family and there was some, but apparently he was a very private individual. He wrote many letters to his daughter Vicky after she married the King of Prussia, but only a few excerpts were found in this book. The Postscript in the back of the book, tells more imformation about his children and what became of them and the contributions each of them made to Great Britain. His son 'Bertie', Edward VII, did make his mark as King of England, which would have surprised his parents had they lived to see it.

[Richard Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a scholar of the 1840-1900 so I was interested in reading about Albert and his wife. I do not have any way to comment on the facts of this book, but I do know that this is unfiltered, unrestrained praise of a man. Stewart from time to time will make some small remark about how Albert had a small flaw but then ten to twenty pages of pure praise of the man. If anybody could have walked on water, Stewart thinks Albert could. There are good reasons to admire the man and he and Victoria did seem to make a tremendous change in British history. I think I am satisfied that I read it.

[Sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great biography. The extraction of letters between Albert and his loved ones and also the diary of Queen Victoria make this book a useful document when discussing 19th century Britain. It specializes on Albert's reforms within the working-class and also his creation and completion of the great Exhibition of 1851. This is the type of book that makes you love it and not want to read about the main character passing away.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and enjoyable reading. Keen insight on the intertwined lives of European royalty. A good book to get an all-around sense of the person and character of a man who made such an impact on his continent. I can't help but wonder what would be different in the western world today, if Queen Victoria had married someone else. The book inspired me to learn more about Prince Albert, Queen Victoria and their children. A unique family!

[Emma Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have been looking for a decent bio of Albert as opposed to "Victoria and Albert the duo" for a while and this is good overall. Would have preferred more detail on the socio-economic initiatives he put into place as so much is already written re his marriage and family but that's just personal preference. Only just a 4* though as I found the concluding section a bit repetitious and the writing gets a tad sycophantic in places. Would recommend though!

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book works very well as an introduction to Prince Albert's life, but is rather sparse on the personal details or private life. Compared to the other biographies out there, this one barely comes up to par. Barely, and just barely, a four star rating.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Jules_...

[Yooperprof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amiably written and enthusiastic, but unfortunately, it's full of minor errors.