Victoria: An Intimate Biography

by Stanley Weintraub

A major biography of Queen Victoria--the first complete life of her in over twenty years--and the first to be written by an American.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Royalty, Autobiography

716 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 1987

About the author

Weintraub was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1929. He was the eldest child of Benjamin and Ray Segal Weintraub. He attended South Philadelphia High School, and then he attended West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University of Pennsylvania) where he received his B.S. in education in 1949. He continued his education at Temple University where he received his master's degree in English “in absentia,” as he was called to duty in the Korean War.

He received a commission as Army Second Lieutenant, and served with the Eighth Army in Korea receiving a Bronze Star.

After the War, he enrolled at Pennsylvania State University in September 1953; his doctoral dissertation “Bernard Shaw, Novelist” was accepted on May 6, 1956.

Except for visiting appointments, he remained at Penn State for all of his career, finally attaining the rank of Evan Pugh Professor of Arts and Humanities, with emeritus status on retirement in 2000. From 1970 to 1990 he was also Director of Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies

Reviews

[Dagmar1927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who casually reads enormous books for fun (who needs a life when you've got history?) I like my biographies of Queen Victoria to be very, very long and very, very detailed. Hence the five stars. This book certainly fits both of those categories, but I found it very easy to read despite the length and, when I'd finished, went straight back to the beginning to hoover up any knowledge I might have missed the first time.

However, I do have one small criticism. The index is pretty awful for such a long book. The catagories should be in alphabetical, not chronological order and sorted into categories.

If you haven't quite got your head around the identities of Missy, Mossy, Minny, Ducky, Toria, Snipe and the rest of them, perhaps this book is not the best place to start, as royal nicknames can be extremely confusing. Minny, for example, is actually Princess Dagmar of Denmark, later Empress Marie Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III. With such an enormous family tree to contend with, you might want to read a more simple book about Queen Victoria before embarking upon this particular voyage of discovery, but it's worth it in the end. Trust me. I've been doing it since I was thirteen.

In my opinion, this book is up with my 'Big Four' of Queen Victoria biographies, which would be a compliment if I were a famous analytical historian with thousands of important publications to my name. However, as a slightly sad eighteen year old with a slight (!) QV obsession, I still love it.

[Corinne Apezteguia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter in this book is very interesting, especially the material that includes her husband before his passing. I remember thinking her life would make a good movie, then someone said they had made a movie about Victoria's early life. (I found and really enjoyed the movie-- The Young Victoria)

After her husband exits the scene, I found both the writing and the subject painfully boring. It did get better, but Weintraub tends to skip around a lot (which is confusing), his style is dry, and the book seems to go on forever (622 pages! whew!).

That said, if one could find a better biography of Victoria, it would be worth it. Her early life is especially interesting. Or better yet, a biography about her husband, Prince Albert. One of the things I love about biographies is all the collateral history I absorb-- its so much easier to remember events in history when I can put them in the context of someone's life.

[Cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen Victoria is remembered as a little, round widow wreathed in black, and gave her name to an era now considered to be strait-laced and oppressively moral. However, Victoria was passionately in love with her husband and consort, Albert, and only after his death did she retreat into decades of mourning. Carefully marrying her nine children and several grandchildren into most of the major royal families in Europe, she influenced politics and morals all over the continent. This is a well-researched biography that often reads like a novel, and reveals Victoria as a multi-faceted woman at the pinnacle of her times.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an epic book, a representation not only of Queen Victoria, but of the rapidly-changing England she ruled. Apart from falling prey to the classic biographer's blunders of 1) including too much detail (just because Lady So-and-so's diary tells you what the Queen had for dinner every night doesn't mean you need to tell us about it) and 2) assuming that everyone reading the book knows as much about British royalty and their various titles and duties as he does, Weintraub does a good job of portraying this legendary monarch.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good biography, and the first substantive bio written by an American author. I had always heard about Queen Victoria and the Victorian era, but I had no idea! Victoria was the Queen for a long time (1937-2000) and weathered many challenges at home and abroad. Her husband, the Prince Consort Albert, gave her many children and great service until his untimely death in 1861. So, as a widow Queen for 40 years, Victoria had a hard time managing her grief and her duties as the Sovereign of England.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the beginning of this book was good, Victoria struggling to become Queen. I thought the rest of the book was very boring and I found myself skipping pages and even whole chapters just to get it over with, cause I knew I had better books to read.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

After seeing The Young Victoria on a plane, I decided I wanted to read a biography. The book was too long and too confusing for someone who doesn't know all the details of how the government was run in 19th century England. Plus, I found Victoria to be somewhat annoying.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a fairly pedestrian biography - quite detailed without being very interesting or exciting. I liked some of the information, but wouldn't recommend it as a fun read.

[Justine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dutiful biography but neither compelling nor clear. Lots of detail but too frustrating trying to keep all the dukes straight. I put it down a few chapters in and went to We Two instead.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, this book lagged on a bit more than I would like, but given the subject matter (i.e. a 60+ year reign), perhaps that was inevitable. I sometimes felt sympathy for the subject was a bit lacking and that names were being called without much evidence as to why they should be. I am willing to believe claims the Queen was demanding and histronic, and that such behavior strained not only her authority over the nation, but also her personal relationships...but I would like to see more accounts of her actual behavior as opposed to criticism without description.

On the other hand, about the time I got tired of both Victoria as a subject and Weintraub as a biographer, one of Victoria's shining moments (usually related to the Britain at war) would emerge to make both far more interesting. I think perhaps a book that focuses on this aspect of her reign while less true to the overall subject might make for more enjoyable reading.

This book also convinced me that of the royal pair, Albert is far less visible and far more interesting as both a biographical subject and a ruler. I have a bit of a feeling that he may well be an unsung national treasure, in spite of the tedium of Victoria constantly forwarding him as such.

I also learned that anyone reading a lengthy history of the monarchy is prone to Merck Manual Disorder. There are a LOT of unpleasant diseases to be gone through in little time. That will probably be the impression of this book that lingers with me longest, unfortunately.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, this book was an excellent source of insight not only into the history of Great Britain in general and England in particular, but into the history of European monarchy as a whole. It shed new and unexpected light over the first and second World Wars and the relations between nations. That is why this book will remain on my shelves as a resource in spite of the unlikelihood it will be reached for during hours of leisure.

[Vincent Lombardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is indeed an INTIMATE biography of Queen Victoria! Weintraub focuses relentlessly and obsessively on Queen Victoria the person, but gives short shrift to the times and events surrounding her. He frequently mentions a law or crisis, but never provides any detail or context; he assumes that the reader knows the history of that period (1817-1901). Many times I went to other sources to find out what he was talking about. He also does something I absolutely HATE: he often uses a German or French word or expression, but never translates.
The first half of the book deals mainly with Victoria and her relationship with Prince Albert, the love of her life, and ends with his death (1840-1861). I read the first half carefully and enjoyed it. (I guess I am just a romantic.) The second half is devoted to the rest of her life, without Albert,(1861-1901), and deals with her relationships with her children, grandchildren, Disraeli, Gladstone, and John Brown. Weintraub toggles between the private Victoria and the public Victoria, and the narrative is choppy and flat. I did not find the second half as interesting and skimmed much of it.
If you want to know EVERYTHING about Queen Victoria the Woman, read this book. If not, look elsewhere.

[Joyce M. Tice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorougly enjoyed this detailed account of the life of Victoria.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew little about the Queen who reigned in England for almost two thirds of the 19th Century, and much of what I did know was informed by the TV series run on Masterpiece starring Jenna Coleman, once an aide to Doctor Who. So, yes, reading about her dog Dash, or her teacher/governess/assistant Lehzen, and her romance with the comely Prince Albert who eventually produced the great Exhibition of 1851 rang lots of visual bells for me, but with greater detail.

The early chapters discuss the crazed methods of finding an heir to George III (the mad king who the US rebelled against in 1776) and George IV, who didn't hold the throne very long. Victoria was left standing as all of her father's older brothers failed to have any offspring. So, onto the throne she went, a relatively modern young woman in 1837 who, despite being attracted to cousin Albert of Coburg, tried hard to remain single for as long as she could. Once married, however, she loved her life, except for the part about being pregnant every time she turned around. Albert, for 24 years, served as a king without being called one, as she consulted with him but left him to do all the heavy lifting.

Then he died, probably of cancer, though they claimed it was typhoid. Victoria became despondent, and did as little as possible for several years. This allowed the Liberal government, run by one Gladstone who seems to be a fascinating character, to push through a lot of things she didn't much care for. Over the course of her reign, partially because of her own choices while she was in mourning, the process of shifting from an activist throne to a ceremonial one moved many steps towards the way we know it now. (To be fair, the Reform Act of the 1820s set it in motion).

Eventually, Disraeli - another fascinating character - found ways to lure her back into visibility and to do what work was left for her to do. Meanwhile, she had all those offspring to marry off, and then grandchildren to do the same. Soon enough, she had relatives on half the thrones of Europe.

Weintraub does a great job of telling the story, gathering as many details as possible for color. Early chapters set the scene for her ascension, but once she gets there, we follow pretty much everything she does for the next 64 years. She was an interesting woman, one who felt that poor people shouldn't be educated which would only make them want jobs they couldn't have. She also pushed hard for the expansion and continuance of the British Empire, which wouldn't last tremendously long after she died. She did have some views which were more sympathetic to people, but honestly, I've forgotten them at this point. There are 646 pages in this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed chewing through this large biography of Queen Victoria. I grew to love reading about this interesting Queen and her complex figure. The writing itself is a bit boring, but the story within makes up for that.

The chapter order begins with Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and then is mostly chronological, with a few exceptions. I felt buried in events, stuck in the midst of them without very much awareness of the timeline or context. I was rushed through Victoria’s life, without a moment to reflect on one event before being confronted with another. Victoria’s character shines through, but not as much as I would like. I think I am used to more modern biographies, where personality is emphasized more than the events in someone’s life.

The biography is focused on Victoria’s life and relationships, and the book writes about historical figures like how the Queen saw them, or how they would be seen in the 1800s. The biography is ambivalent about whether it’s from Victoria’s point of view or an omniscient narrator. Mostly, it’s the omniscient narrator, except in depictions of some factions and people.

Queen Victoria’s portrayal is also ambivalent. She comes across as a very flawed person trying to be a good queen and mostly succeeding. The book shimmers with various side characters and personalities that surrounded Victoria, to her family and aides to the various British prime ministers to the other crowned heads of Europe and the many cultural figures of the day.

This book is also full of gossip and juicy little details. I will remember select passages years after I have read this book. Especially the descriptions of Jubilee opulence. Other passages are extremely boring and won’t stick with me ever.

This is a biography, with all the good and bad that implies. The book doesn’t show very much that it was written by an American, which is a point in its favor. I understand Queen Victoria and her life better after reading this book, which was all I wanted.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weintraub has created a definitive biography of Queen Victoria through extensive research using personal letters and diaries with the goal to present an authentic perspective of the Queen, her life and her times.

Queen Victoria’s reign was a transformative period in British history and this narrative presents the nuances and balance that emerged as royalty needed to be enigmatic and more accessible. Weintraub does show the struggles in the era of modernity with the traditional royal inaccessibility. How does one be seen by the public and still maintain the mystery which “is its life. We must not let in daylight upon magic.” Change that presented itself to this very passionate, stubborn, naïve and simultaneously worldly personage as evidenced when she went into seclusion after her husband died and the popularity of the monarchy plummeted. She had to be coaxed out into public.

Weintraub does an excellent job relaying the relationships, complicated and challenging, Victoria had with everyone from her mother, her prime ministers, her children and grandchildren, to leaders of governments both foreign and domestic. A reader was given a peek at her opinions from babies to gardening, to world leaders to how handsome her suitor Albert was. Fascinating and the kicker is knowing that her youngest daughter, Beatrice, edited (to the point of destroying) her diaries. What could have been gleaned from those nuggets seemingly too provocative to share in the daylight.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent modern biography of the Queen—although reading about her as an adult I did not like her nearly as much as I did when I was younger. She was a lousy mother, for instance, and she could be very selfish. On the other hand, I learned a great deal more about her—how difficult her childhood was for instance, and this biography dealt more fully with post-Albert years, which consisted of most of her reign, whereas many biographies tend to gloss over that and lump it as one unchanging period.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each historian’s Victoria is different from the others’. Weintraub’s Victoria is often ridiculous and even a little hysterical, stubborn and willful. It’s still a great audiobook though, because it is read by the all time greatest audiobook reader of all time, Donada Peters a.k.a. Wanda McCaddon a.k.a. Nadia May. So even though I think Weintraub’s portrait of Victoria has a scent of sexism to it (I’ve read more recent biographies of Victoria that portray her in a far more rational, modern light), Peters McCaddon May still makes the book sing.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this biography, written in a narrative style, focusing on Queen Victoria's personal & family life. It was a bit tedious in places and tended to be a bit confusing in places, due to run on sentences and a bit of bouncing back and forward between time periods. All this considered, it was well worth the read. Because of the length, I read it in sections, interspersed with other books.

[Pk]

Good story but I decided to watch the series on PBS

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of Victoria shows how well a ruler can teach her lessons simply by being the ruler and a good ruler at that. Victoria showed that women can do any job a man can do, meanwhile proclaiming to any and all that women were the lesser sex and should defer to men. Yet, when her husband, a good ruler in his own right, died, she took over the reins of government and was involved in every aspect of the Empire while seeming to be doing not much more than photo opportunities. Passionate and empathic, she tried to evince unaffected solidity. Needfully sexual, her name has been associated with the most restricted and prim era of the English people. Thus, the biography shows that Victoria taught the women of her empire that a woman could do the job and well. Without her, the vote for women, which she deplored, would be necessary. She also, in trying to solidify peace in Europe, sent her most talented daughter to Germany to make that nation an ally. By doing so, she guaranteed that her progressive daughter would be actively disliked by all around her in that conservative state, including her son who took that nation to war with England in 1914. So perishes human aims. I learned a great deal from this excellent biography by an American woman, undeterred by the strictures of the English who wanted to preserve the traditional views of Victoria. For those interested in the study of a real person who endured uncounted tragedies to rule the greatest nation on Earth, this book is a must.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for some more background on how Kaiser Wilhelm II and his grandmother interacted and got along, or didn't as the case may be, during their reigns. Read for a German history paper.

An older book on the life of Queen Victoria. It has the basics of any other book on the Queen and her reign. This author does try to describe more of how she lived and interacted with her husband, children, government, and other family members. Parts of it seemed to go on forever, while others didn't have enough information for me. This is definitely not a good book to start with when wanting to know more about Queen Victoria but parts of it are informative and a good read to add more to the life of this popular British ruler.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book really blew my 25 book challenge, and I even skipped a couple chapters, but I really enjoyed learning more about Victoria and the relation between the monarchy and the political system and the people. Some of it was way over my head, and I think a less detailed account of her life probably would have been better for me.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit, I got bored. Part was the writing,but part was the subject who became so stiff, isolated and prudish. However it was useful to learn how unpopular she was during many parts of her reign. She was not a universally beloved home run by any means.

[Jeannine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overly long and detailed biography about a not-so-interesting person. Gave up around page 300.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was quite boring.