What do you think?
Rate this book
Victorian Britain
Darwin. Gladstone. Disraeli. Dickens. Meet the pioneering, paradoxical Britons of the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Through peaceful and gradual change they built one of the world's first industrial democracies—in a class-bound society with a powerful landed aristocracy and a negative view of business. They gloried in a globe-spanning and relatively humanely run empire—even as it distracted them from underlying economic weaknesses that presaged Britain's 20th-century decline. They were also intensely sentimental—yet ignored extreme squalor and hardship in their midst.Consider these other apparent contradictions:
They became history's first campaigners against slavery and pursued a host of reformist, often religiously inspired causes with zeal and vision—yet tolerated child labor and the Opium War.
They were quick to exploit new technologies, including the steam engine, cast-iron construction, and gas lighting—yet lost their economic leadership to Germany and America.
The Victorians created the cityscape of modern Britain—visible today except for what was destroyed by bombing in World War II—while consciously trying to re-create earlier styles.
They faced rapid and sweeping scientific, historical, and technological shifts—yet avoided massive upheavals that tore at other European and Atlantic societies in their day.
And in their trademark style, the Victorians even reformed cricket, turning it from a riotous diversion for hard drinkers and gamblers into a byword for flannel-clad decency and goodhearted fair play that crossed class lines and brought together the best features of democracy and aristocracy.
Victorian Britain: Strengths and Foibles
This course is a chronological journey into the Victorian story with all its strengths and foibles and invites you to reflect on its lessons both positive and negative.
You move from the unexpected ascension to the throne of teenaged Princess Victoria in 1837 to her death in 1901 as the Boer War neared its end.
You learn about the lives of Victorian women; the situation facing working people and the rise of trade unionism; Victorian achievements in art, literature, architecture, and music; and what Leonard Woolf called "the seriousness of games" and of leisure-time activities as windows on Victorian life.
You discuss the important role played by Christianity as a force for both principled adherence to tradition and principled pursuit of change; and the influence of science and the debates over its impact that animated the Victorians.
You learn what the Victorians believed about education; the questions raised by Britain's rule over its Empire, the problems of poverty and crime; the discoveries of Victorian explorers in Africa; and more.
All in all, you will find it a remarkable tour of a remarkable age. And one of the highlights of it, as Professor Patrick N. Allitt explains, is something that never happened.
The Dog That Did Not Bark
Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes are among the best-loved literary legacies from the Victorian age. In one of them, "Silver Blaze" (first published in London's Strand magazine in December 1892), a crucial piece of evidence is something that did not happen—what Holmes calls "the curious incident" of the dog that did not bark.
In Britain there was nothing like the French Revolution, the revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Italian and German wars of unification, or the American Civil War.
Understanding how the British and their institutions managed peacefully to accommodate and manage the currents of change is one of the main themes in this course.
And the change was vast. With the culmination of the Industrial Revolution, Britain had gone decisively from being a mostly rural and agricultural society to being a land of large industrial cities.
Much of the credit, Professor Allitt argues, goes to able leaders.
Gladstone and Disraeli
"The first was Victoria herself," he says, "who came to the throne at a time when the monarchy was at a low ebb thanks to the foibles and derelictions of her predecessors. Her example of probity and assurance helped make the monarchy a symbol of stability and national unity that served Britain well. Therefore, the age deserves to be named after her for more than accidental reasons."
But above all were the two great prime ministers, the Liberal William Gladstone (1809-1898) and the Conservative Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). Between them they dominated the political landscape and played crucial roles in helping Britain absorb and creatively adapt to the massive changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution and the rise of democracy.
Each in his own way was a remarkable character, and their clashes and collaborations (whether overt or tacit) are justifiably the stuff of legend.
Victorian Firsts
Victorian Britain was the first society to:
go from majority illiterate to near-universal basic literacy
abolish p...
They became history's first campaigners against slavery and pursued a host of reformist, often religiously inspired causes with zeal and vision—yet tolerated child labor and the Opium War.
They were quick to exploit new technologies, including the steam engine, cast-iron construction, and gas lighting—yet lost their economic leadership to Germany and America.
The Victorians created the cityscape of modern Britain—visible today except for what was destroyed by bombing in World War II—while consciously trying to re-create earlier styles.
They faced rapid and sweeping scientific, historical, and technological shifts—yet avoided massive upheavals that tore at other European and Atlantic societies in their day.
And in their trademark style, the Victorians even reformed cricket, turning it from a riotous diversion for hard drinkers and gamblers into a byword for flannel-clad decency and goodhearted fair play that crossed class lines and brought together the best features of democracy and aristocracy.
Victorian Britain: Strengths and Foibles
This course is a chronological journey into the Victorian story with all its strengths and foibles and invites you to reflect on its lessons both positive and negative.
You move from the unexpected ascension to the throne of teenaged Princess Victoria in 1837 to her death in 1901 as the Boer War neared its end.
You learn about the lives of Victorian women; the situation facing working people and the rise of trade unionism; Victorian achievements in art, literature, architecture, and music; and what Leonard Woolf called "the seriousness of games" and of leisure-time activities as windows on Victorian life.
You discuss the important role played by Christianity as a force for both principled adherence to tradition and principled pursuit of change; and the influence of science and the debates over its impact that animated the Victorians.
You learn what the Victorians believed about education; the questions raised by Britain's rule over its Empire, the problems of poverty and crime; the discoveries of Victorian explorers in Africa; and more.
All in all, you will find it a remarkable tour of a remarkable age. And one of the highlights of it, as Professor Patrick N. Allitt explains, is something that never happened.
The Dog That Did Not Bark
Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about Sherlock Holmes are among the best-loved literary legacies from the Victorian age. In one of them, "Silver Blaze" (first published in London's Strand magazine in December 1892), a crucial piece of evidence is something that did not happen—what Holmes calls "the curious incident" of the dog that did not bark.
In Britain there was nothing like the French Revolution, the revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Italian and German wars of unification, or the American Civil War.
Understanding how the British and their institutions managed peacefully to accommodate and manage the currents of change is one of the main themes in this course.
And the change was vast. With the culmination of the Industrial Revolution, Britain had gone decisively from being a mostly rural and agricultural society to being a land of large industrial cities.
Much of the credit, Professor Allitt argues, goes to able leaders.
Gladstone and Disraeli
"The first was Victoria herself," he says, "who came to the throne at a time when the monarchy was at a low ebb thanks to the foibles and derelictions of her predecessors. Her example of probity and assurance helped make the monarchy a symbol of stability and national unity that served Britain well. Therefore, the age deserves to be named after her for more than accidental reasons."
But above all were the two great prime ministers, the Liberal William Gladstone (1809-1898) and the Conservative Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). Between them they dominated the political landscape and played crucial roles in helping Britain absorb and creatively adapt to the massive changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution and the rise of democracy.
Each in his own way was a remarkable character, and their clashes and collaborations (whether overt or tacit) are justifiably the stuff of legend.
Victorian Firsts
Victorian Britain was the first society to:
go from majority illiterate to near-universal basic literacy
abolish p...
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 30, 2018
One of my "dreams" is to write a Victorian novel. This audiobook was a great primer, with plenty of titbits and interesting facts. It is not laid out entirely chronologically, which is good, because it makes it less boring, which I have found is sadly the case with many other (audio)books on Victorian England.
October 26, 2011
Absolutely fantastic course. Avoids chronological snobbery towards the Victorians & actually deals with both the positive & negative aspects of the period. Tons of information help one get a better grasp on the Victorian mindset.
May 30, 2020
Read in 2016. Was among my favourites of the year.
March 20, 2021
Extremely interesting, informative and well presented. Highly recommended if you want a comprehensive and detailed overview of the Victorian era.
July 7, 2022
An informative, thoughtful and entertaining overview of the history and culture of Victorian Britain. I'm adding Patrick N. Allitt to my already very long list of excellent lecturers who recorded courses for The Teaching Company aka The Great Courses aka their dreadful new name that shan't be named (at least not by me;)).
June 30, 2015
One of the most popular images of Victorian Britain is Dickens' London, peopled with clever beggars and roaming gangs of starved urchins. Dickens based his London on his own research and experience, as well as the research of his peers.
But, ugh, what a downer!
Aren't you tired of hearing about the poor? I mean, who wants to know what a hellish Randian nightmare a an industrial city can become without any social wellfare systems in place? Yes, Victorian Britain was a turgid morass of classism, sexism, racism, homophobia and anti-semitism, but can't we be nicer to those classist sexist racist homophobic anti-semites? They were, after all, leaders of industry! Never mind the fact that some say this is because they were born in an environment that only favored power and privilege; they did great things, because if they didn't, no one else would have been able to!
It's not apologism if they were just a product of their time! Won't someone think of the poor landowner? Who will defend the honor of the judges who sent children to their deaths? Who will speak for the businessman who forcibly seduced his maids? Who among us has the courage to speak favorably of monarchs, nobles, and gentlemen?
Patrick N. Allitt does, and at length.
But, ugh, what a downer!
Aren't you tired of hearing about the poor? I mean, who wants to know what a hellish Randian nightmare a an industrial city can become without any social wellfare systems in place? Yes, Victorian Britain was a turgid morass of classism, sexism, racism, homophobia and anti-semitism, but can't we be nicer to those classist sexist racist homophobic anti-semites? They were, after all, leaders of industry! Never mind the fact that some say this is because they were born in an environment that only favored power and privilege; they did great things, because if they didn't, no one else would have been able to!
It's not apologism if they were just a product of their time! Won't someone think of the poor landowner? Who will defend the honor of the judges who sent children to their deaths? Who will speak for the businessman who forcibly seduced his maids? Who among us has the courage to speak favorably of monarchs, nobles, and gentlemen?
Patrick N. Allitt does, and at length.
July 27, 2013
Fantastic course! Although this is only a tip of the iceberg regarding what can be learned about Victorian period it is really worth listening to. It may become a good starting point for those yearning to learn more. Professor Allit presents material in an engaging humorous fashion and does it from numerous different angles: politics (local and foreign), economics, religion, arts, royalty, science, life of upper and lower classes, leisure and many other. You get a very good feeling of how the life was like during the 19th century in Great Britain.
I wish there were more courses created by professor Allit. His mixture of facts and historical anecdotes, coverage of national-wide events and personal stories is a right combination of how the history should be taught to an amateur enthusiast.
HIghly recommended.
I wish there were more courses created by professor Allit. His mixture of facts and historical anecdotes, coverage of national-wide events and personal stories is a right combination of how the history should be taught to an amateur enthusiast.
HIghly recommended.
June 4, 2012
This audio course is great! Professor Allitt has an enjoyable, laid-back style that makes for comfortable listening, and the lectures cover quite a bit of material. Allitt avoids praising the Victorians or condemning them for their beliefs and tries to offer a balance of material that shows the era for what it was: human. There are some touches of levity, as when he reads from Queen Victoria's own diary how she was smitten with Prince Albert. I'm only sad that now I've finished the lectures, but the course does have an accompanying PDF and coursebooks that have a list of recommended readings.
February 11, 2016
After being continualy hounded by several good friends to start taking audio books on long trips I've finally done it. This brilliant "Great Course" made the most recent 20 hour family drive even more enjoyable. 36 half hour lectures on various topics from the Victorian era made me wish I was a faster reader becuase he continually quoted and recommended endless other books from the 19th centurty.
June 22, 2013
This is a Great Courses lecture series by The Teaching Company, taught by Dr. Patrick N. Allitt, Cahoon Family Professor of American History at Emory University. Allitt sets up the survey by discussing the inherent contradictions in the Victorian Era ("Through peaceful and gradual change they [the Britons of the Victorian Era] built one of the world's first industrial democracies — in a class-bound society with a powerful landed aristocracy and a negative view of business. They gloried in a globe-spanning and relatively humanely run empire — even as it distracted them from underlying economic weaknesses that presaged Britain's 20th-century decline. They were also intensely sentimental — yet ignored extreme squalor and hardship in their midst....") Allitt then devotes lectures to each of the following subjects:
1 The Victorian Paradox
2 Victoria’s Early Reign—1837-1861
3 The Industrial Revolution—1750-1830
4 Railways and Steamships
5 Parliamentary Reform and Chartism
6 The Upper- and Middle-Class Woman
7 The Working-Class Woman
8 The State Church and Evangelical Revival
9 The Oxford Movement and Catholicism
10 Work and Working-Class Life
11 Poverty and the “Hungry Forties”
12 Ireland, Famine, and Robert Peel
13 Scotland and Wales
14 Progress and Optimism
15 China and the Opium War
16 The Crimean War—1854-1856
17 The Indian Mutiny—1857
18 Victorian Britain and the American Civil War
19 The British in Africa—1840-1880
20 Victorian Literature I
21 Art and Music
22 Science
23 Medicine and Public Health
24 Architecture
25 Education
26 Trade Unions and the Labour Party
27 Crime and Punishment
28 Gladstone and Disraeli—1865-1881
29 Ireland and Home Rule
30 Democracy and Its Discontents
31 The British in Africa—1880-1901
32 Later Victorian Literature
33 Leisure
34 Domestic Servants
35 Victoria After Albert—1861-1901
36 The Victorian Legacy
I was very impressed with the depth and breadth of this overview. Allitt provides a very compelling assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, and lasting legacy of the Victorians, and his observations about how cultural attitudes about station and labor affected the economic reality of the Industrial Revolution and its businesses (differently than elsewhere - say, in the United States) were particularly astute. Highly recommended!
I listened to this on the heels of reading Michael Paterson's excellent Life in Victorian Britain: A Social History of Queen Victoria's Reign and at the same time I was reading the very well illustrated Sherlock Holmes: The Man and His World by H.R.F. Keating, and I found these works to complement each other extremely well.
1 The Victorian Paradox
2 Victoria’s Early Reign—1837-1861
3 The Industrial Revolution—1750-1830
4 Railways and Steamships
5 Parliamentary Reform and Chartism
6 The Upper- and Middle-Class Woman
7 The Working-Class Woman
8 The State Church and Evangelical Revival
9 The Oxford Movement and Catholicism
10 Work and Working-Class Life
11 Poverty and the “Hungry Forties”
12 Ireland, Famine, and Robert Peel
13 Scotland and Wales
14 Progress and Optimism
15 China and the Opium War
16 The Crimean War—1854-1856
17 The Indian Mutiny—1857
18 Victorian Britain and the American Civil War
19 The British in Africa—1840-1880
20 Victorian Literature I
21 Art and Music
22 Science
23 Medicine and Public Health
24 Architecture
25 Education
26 Trade Unions and the Labour Party
27 Crime and Punishment
28 Gladstone and Disraeli—1865-1881
29 Ireland and Home Rule
30 Democracy and Its Discontents
31 The British in Africa—1880-1901
32 Later Victorian Literature
33 Leisure
34 Domestic Servants
35 Victoria After Albert—1861-1901
36 The Victorian Legacy
I was very impressed with the depth and breadth of this overview. Allitt provides a very compelling assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, and lasting legacy of the Victorians, and his observations about how cultural attitudes about station and labor affected the economic reality of the Industrial Revolution and its businesses (differently than elsewhere - say, in the United States) were particularly astute. Highly recommended!
I listened to this on the heels of reading Michael Paterson's excellent Life in Victorian Britain: A Social History of Queen Victoria's Reign and at the same time I was reading the very well illustrated Sherlock Holmes: The Man and His World by H.R.F. Keating, and I found these works to complement each other extremely well.
December 15, 2014
I'm a fan of Dr Allitt. I appreciate that while he discussed the incredible advanced of the era he never forgets the human costs: discussing the both the improvements in society as a whole, while also bringing the human costs to his lectures. He is extremely well spoken and delivers his lectures in ab organized manner. Some "great courses" try and span too many subjects or too vast of time frames. This is not the case with the courses I've watched so far with Dr Allitt
May 19, 2023
Решила считать это книгой, поскольку есть структура, есть контент, есть автор. Но вообще-то это цикл лекций. Охват очень широкий, глубина соответствующая, то есть не очень глубокая, но это отличное место для старта, чтобы понять, про что о викторианской Британии вы хотите почитать поподробнее (я, как всегда, про Индию :)). Лектор обаятельный, уместно сухо шутит, но в целом из него очень торчат уши тори, и время от времени он начинает оправдывать то, что оправдывать не надо бы.
January 10, 2010
Actually a set of three lectures on audio (or DVD if you prefer), the lectures are a fascinating and comprehensive view of Victorian British life. It covers topics including basic history; Victoria pre and post Albert's death; America, India, Africa and how they are affected by the British at the time, the industrial revolution; literature during that time, such as Dickens and the Bronte sisters; the economic disparity among the classes; the extreme poverty and suffering of the lower classes etc. Fascinating! I am looking forward to part 3-- the lectures are broken down into three parts each part containing 6 CD-- the last part but I will definitely be sad when it's over.
All lectures are read and arranged by college professors so listening to them is very much like taking a class in college without of course the grades or exams and you have the assurance the information is fairly reputable (as much as college and their professors are) and accurate.
Update
listened to the last disk, great job of summarizing (it's been a long time so I need the refresher) and yes I'm sad it's over with. But as the lecturer pointed out there is a plethora of information about the Victorian era, so should I care to read more on it, I would have plenty of choices.
All lectures are read and arranged by college professors so listening to them is very much like taking a class in college without of course the grades or exams and you have the assurance the information is fairly reputable (as much as college and their professors are) and accurate.
Update
listened to the last disk, great job of summarizing (it's been a long time so I need the refresher) and yes I'm sad it's over with. But as the lecturer pointed out there is a plethora of information about the Victorian era, so should I care to read more on it, I would have plenty of choices.
December 29, 2016
This is a comprehensive and entertaining overview of Victorian England. I love Allitt's dry and chatty delivery style. While I wish there was more material about the colonial experience, Allitt has 18 lectures dedicated to it in his lecture series Rise and Fall of the British Empire.
February 10, 2022
History of the 19th century is something that I'm not very interested in but this class made the topic very appealing. The thing which pleasantly surprised me the most was the unbiased telling of historical figures and events. Prof. Allitt tells it as it was with no one given shorter shrift. Sadly, this is a rarity today where most lessons are taught with a socialist, post-modern slant. I finished this class with a greater knowledge of Victorian Britain but with no idea as to Prof. Allitt's political leanings. This cannot be said for many other Great Courses' instructors.
Highly Recommended.
Highly Recommended.
July 7, 2019
This is a part of the Great Courses series and is a college level series of lectures on its subject matter in this case a very good broad overview of the Victorian Era. I
t delves into all parts of the topic from social to economic to political. It is hard to say that is was too short since it was about 18 hours worth of lectures, But it was too short. This lecture series is designed to give you broad highlights which then allows you to pick and choose what interests you so you can find more in depth information on that subset and it does it very well.
A good primer and worth the time commitment and I like the lecturer.
t delves into all parts of the topic from social to economic to political. It is hard to say that is was too short since it was about 18 hours worth of lectures, But it was too short. This lecture series is designed to give you broad highlights which then allows you to pick and choose what interests you so you can find more in depth information on that subset and it does it very well.
A good primer and worth the time commitment and I like the lecturer.
May 11, 2019
Although I missed out some of this (due to having studied it before) I found the lessons I listened to quite fascinating and learnt something from each one. I would agree with some of the critics on here who consider the professor rather conservative but nobody is completely neutral and I can't say it bothered me. This is a good course for people who are interested in learning!
April 23, 2018
I love the Great Courses series. So informative! This teacher was particularly good.
February 27, 2009
Great overview of Victorian Britain. I especially liked how Dr. Allitt covered so many different aspects of the times -- the economy, literature, politics, prime ministers, wars, etc.
July 25, 2011
Everything this guy touches is gold.
August 21, 2016
One of the best lecturers that I've come across. Made the series both relevant and entertaining. Provided some great recommended reading as well.
November 25, 2014
Just finished this. :) Fascinating lecture series from a very entertaining professor.
June 27, 2016
I really enjoyed these lectures over Victorian Britain. The professor was knowledgeable and included a great deal of fun tidbits.
Read
August 24, 2015Good book!
February 21, 2016
Even though I was familiar with much of the material, I feel I learned a bit from listening to this course; moreover, the author has a very good delivery style.
May 21, 2017
There is nothing quite like listening to a passionate historian talk about his subject. He truly brings the people of this age back to life.
June 9, 2018
Not a book, but a fantastic course! All Prof. Allitt's courses for the Teaching Company are fantastic. He's funny and engaging and keeps the material all marvelously relevant. The lecture on Victorian literature is so good that I regularly re-listen to it alone, and the lectures on servants and the working-class are equally magnificent. He makes Dickens, Ruskin, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Disraeli, George Eliot and Gladstone and thousands of less famous people come alive in their humor and warmth and reality.
I only have a couple of minor quibbles--one that Audible doesn't give the chapters the original Teaching Company titles, so I have to look up the chapters titles on the TC's website to find individual pieces that are helpful to me in writing Victorian fiction.
My other minor quibble is that Allitt is definitely not a post-colonial theorist; he tends not to spend as much time as I would like from the point of view of Britain's colonized peoples (although he did this more in his other lectures on the British Empire in general). But he's not an apologist for empire, either, and does point out when horrible and unforgivable things were done in the name of England, and I appreciate this.
I only have a couple of minor quibbles--one that Audible doesn't give the chapters the original Teaching Company titles, so I have to look up the chapters titles on the TC's website to find individual pieces that are helpful to me in writing Victorian fiction.
My other minor quibble is that Allitt is definitely not a post-colonial theorist; he tends not to spend as much time as I would like from the point of view of Britain's colonized peoples (although he did this more in his other lectures on the British Empire in general). But he's not an apologist for empire, either, and does point out when horrible and unforgivable things were done in the name of England, and I appreciate this.
March 23, 2020
This book, Victorian Britain by Patrick Allitt, was 18 hours/630 pages but I sped it up by listening at double time and managed to use 9 hours of exercising, cooking, and cleaning as part of the read-a-thon. This is a Great Courses series made into a lengthy and comprehensive audiobook, and it was excellent. the professor who was the narrator was terrific. The book contained information about political, social, economic and cultural issues related to the reign of Queen Victoria from the life and family of Queen Victoria herself to the literature of the era, the politics of Peale, Gladstone, and Disraeli, the rise of the labour movement, the transformation of the church including the Oxford Movement, the expansion of the empire, the rise of industrialism and science- truly a fascinating book about a fascinating era. I read this book to prep for our trip to the UK this summer which I hope we will be able to take ! Doodle as always was a faithful reading companion. I got the book from the library- the LOs Angeles Public Library- as San Diego Public Library @sdpubliclibrary has discontinued Overdrive in favor of an inferior platform, I get my audio and ebooks elsewhere -and my favorite is the library of my childhood @lapubliclibrary read this as part of #stayhome24in48
June 7, 2023
In 2002 The Teaching Company released Emory University Professor Patrick Allitt’s exceptional 36 lecture course “Victorian Britain.” The course features the legacy of Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901. During her 64 year reign, Britain became a democracy, established a very large international kingdom, and engaged in wars of conquest. Professor Atilt profiles the women, leisure, economics, art and architecture of Britain during the period. He also explains the impact rail, medical practices, education advances, sciences, and trade unions had on the Victorian era’s quality of life. His presentations are full of insights, oftentimes humorous, and very thought provoking. The lecture guidebooks, feature Queen Victoria’s diary quotes, maps, timelines, and glossary of terms. The 3 guidebooks also have an excellent set of bibliographical notes and references. (P)
September 23, 2019
My first foray into the Great Courses and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’m finding the bite size lectures easy to listen to and because the chapters are all headed I’m able to pick and choose my lectures. The lecturer is fun and is able to convey the lecture material without it becoming too dry.
I’m learning heeps about the Victorians which I had been woefully ignorant of before hand.
So highly recommend.
I’m learning heeps about the Victorians which I had been woefully ignorant of before hand.
So highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews