Queen Victoria

by Walter L. Arnstein

Queen Victoria [QUEEN VICTORIA] [Paperback]

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, School, Historical, Royalty, Womens

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written by my graduate school advisor so forgive my bias.

Arnstein writes well and in his day sold more British history textbooks in America than anyone else. And this is a nice short biography of Queen Victoria. On the other hand, Strachey’s witty short biography of Queen Victoria is excellent too.

[Megan Fehr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never realized the vast amount of change Queen Victoria brought to her country and others. Initially, I thought this biography appeared tedious. Upon reading, I began to understand the power Victoria had, but I was surprised with her stubbornness and willpower. Although she appeared this way, I appreciated the information about her family and Parliament all the same.

[Hannah Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book almost single-handedly convinced me that I should have been a history major. Arnstein seamlessly blends source documents to tell the intriguing story of Victoria and her family, both personal and historical without lingering too long on either.

[Madeleine Liu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ostensibly designed to "whet" a reader's appetite, it would have been well for Arnstein to have kept that message in mind. Clearly, he is knowledgeable about both the scholarship and reception of Victoria, at least down to the beginning of the [21st] century. Where he shines is in contrasting historical misconceptions, or finding a middle-ground between extreme positions. Yet, the history is not fluid. It is said to be chronological, yet is really organised into "themes" that make a mess out of the timeline and is utterly confusing. Major events are listed in dull sentences whereby first-time readers would not grasp either the significance, connection or explanation thereof. Even the quotations are not as many as one might like in an historical or biographical work of someone so controversial and long-lived. A slim volume, to be sure, with a fine introduction and conclusion, yet one is left with the distinct impression about the middle that it has tried to do much and did not succeed. That I might remember in a month's time the takeaways of Victoria's reign is infinitely more likely than the minutiae of the Crimean War, because it was discussed so forgettably.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead for little more than one hundred years, Queen Victoria has already been the subject of more biographies than any other woman born since 1800. This newest biography from a well known historian is justified and distinguished by the incorporation of recent research on often-neglected aspects of her life and reign, as well as its relative brevity. Including much of Victoria's own writings from journals and letters, Arnstein takes a thorough look at her personal life and religious views, but also investigates her public role such as her involvement with Britain's army, her political initiatives and her connections with Ireland. The author's solid understanding of Victorian society and its relationship to the queen gives this book a solidarity missing in other biographies of the queen. The book provides enough economic, social, cultural and political background knowledge to make this book accessible even to readers unfamiliar with her now distant world.

[Jeannette · Rating 4 out of 5]

As biographies of Victoria go, this was one of the shorter ones, yet I felt it was quite thorough and comprehensive. The author did a good job of making the reader feel as if they knew this fascinating woman who was in her time the most famous in the world and the longest serving monarch. Interspersed throughout were the words from her diaries giving credence to conjectures. The world events of her lifetime were clearly explained along with her positions and those who opposed her. At times it got a bit bogged down in minutiae, but mostly it was well- paced. A great companion to the PBS series.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a very short book on a very long reign, this is amazingly thorough. Arnstein obviously can not cover everything, but he does an excellent job of reviewing both domestic as well as international affairs in Victoria’s reign while not neglecting her private life.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Looked at other books about the queen and this one had just the detail I wanted. It told all about herself, her family, her reign, her likes and dislikes and personality and what she did for England. Excellent book.

[Avril Merwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating to read the socio-political history that informed the writing of authors like Charles Dickens and George Eliot, as well as the life of one of the world's most fascinating leaders.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very succinct and well written biography of one of the most influential people in modern history. I enjoyed this one, and I don't read many biographies!

[Candy Wood]

Considering that Queen Victoria lived a public life, keeping journals and writing letters, for around 80 years, her biography could be very long indeed, but Walter Arnstein manages to compress it into about 200 pages, a manageable length for nonspecialist readers. At the same time, he provides footnotes and bibliography for readers who wish to continue the exploration. The evidence thus comes both from the many previous biographies, some focused on particular topics such as the young princess or the queen’s relationship with John Brown, and from Arnstein’s own research into primary sources. The final chapter usefully reviews paradoxes embodied in Queen Victoria that make the whole book a balancing act: each chapter reflects a world that was personal, public, social, political, national, global, traditional, and rapidly changing. Queen Victoria herself was no champion of women’s rights, but she also saw no reason not to be thoroughly involved in government, and this relatively brief account is a good read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Victoria: The Un-Victorian Queen. While her public image and the perception of that image was "Victorian" in nature (ie-an image of maternal domesticity and tradition), Victoria, the person, was quite the opposite. She disliked her children, hated being a mother, lived to exercise her "masculine" political power, reveled in war, and invited religious and racial progress. While she was a woman with a temper and an ego, she was also a woman who had a desire to be coddled, and while she was also a woman who did not take orders from others, she was the sort of woman who wanted the men in her life to take care of her. Lastly, in an era where marriages were miserable arrangements, Victoria experienced the most fulfilling relationship of her life, and in fact, its loss would plunge her into mourning for the rest of her life (40 years). As the longest reigning monarch ever, Victoria is a memorable portrait of a woman with extreme intelligence, femininity, and strength and an example of all that a modern woman can be.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching the "Young Victoria" movie, I was very interested in her because all the other versions I have seen/read are her later years, fat, hard, stuffy, and unhappy. The movie showed Victoria as vivacious, intriguing and sweetly in love. I read this book with my Classics Bookclub on the urging of my mother and cunning of Donna, and I really fell in love with it. It is a short biography (only 200 pages) for a life that spanned 90 yrs, but the authors does an AMAZING job of filling in holes, hitting high points, giving vivid details of every day life and decisions, and making you feel like you know Victoria. If you are interested in her, this is a fantastic biography to dive into. Recommended!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book - it was thorough but not so overwhelming that I found it difficult to read. The way the chapters are divided shows just how many sides there were to Victoria, and each aspect is given a fair amount of attention. I had to read it for my Victorian England class, so it definitely gave me further insight,

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected--or perhaps hoped. The emphasis is much more on her role as a politician and governor than on her personal affairs, and it is not a study of any particular depth. It was certainly very readable, but by no means comprehensive.

[Reannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book to be interesting and somewhat well written. I don't consider myself an expert when it comes to Queen Victoria, but I found that there were only a few facts in the book that I didn't know about. It was worth the quick read though.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a class I'm taking. It's a very concise, yet thorough, read. Good for the Victorian scholar, but also for the "newbie" to Queen Victoria.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a relatively short book to learn about Queen Victoria, I definitely recommend this one.

[Marlayna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book lacking... All accounts of Queen Victoria show he as vivacious and take charge, I didn't get that from this book.

[Kera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic biography. Really brought Queen Victoria to life in a concise way.

[Fraley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must have!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Short read but a good one and highlighted her well in a brief space.

[Jeffrey Thiessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written concise work that will, in the words of the author, "whet the reader's appetite".