The Reign of Queen Victoria

by Hector Bolitho

The stage was already set for the astonishing reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

After the discovery of previously unfound letters and journals in Germany, Hector Bolitho here continues his series of royal biographies to expand on and re-frame the extraordinary lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Bolitho expertly navigates the unparalleled rule of Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort in this authentic and intimate portrait of their lives. From her incredible accession to the throne, through her romance with Albert, and to her lengthy rule as monarch, Bolitho paints a rich and full portrait of Victoria – as queen, mother, wife, and widow.

Perfect for fans of ITV’s Victoria, discover the truth behind one of history’s greatest romances and learn how the pair shaped not only the British Empire but the world.



The Reign of Queen Victoria was first published in 1948.



PRAISE FOR THE REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA

‘A monumental, scholarly study’ – Kirkus Review

‘A massive piece of research, written in the best traditions of authentic history’ – Kirkus Review

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Royalty, British Literature

590 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2010

About the author

(Henry) Hector Bolitho was a New Zealand author, novelist and biographer.
Widely-travelled, he journeyed in the South Sea Islands in 1919 and then through New Zealand with the Prince of Wales in 1920. He travelled in Africa, Australia, Canada, America, and Germany in 1923-4, finally settling in Britain where he was to remain for the rest of his life.
On his arrival in Britain he worked as a freelance journalist. At the start of World War II he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) as an intelligence officer with the rank of squadron leader, editing the Royal Air Force Weekly Bulletin, which in 1941 became the Royal Air Force Journal. In 1942 he was appointed editor of the Coastal Command Intelligence Review.
He had 59 books published.

Reviews

[Justkeepreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love queen Victoria. Her love for Albert is one that is really beautiful. I have been to the summer house in the Isle of Wight and fell in love with their story there when I was a little girl. So it is amazing to read this book and to find out all about their history and discover lots of things that I didn’t know about. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read about one of our best monarchs.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: https://lifeandteablog.wordpress.com/...

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1948, The Reign of Queen Victoria by Hector Bolitho was republished in time for Queen Victoria’s bicentenary. The book surprisingly begins with the relationship between Prince’s Albert’s parents, Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Louise of Saxe Gotha Altenburg. Reading Princess Louise’s comments were by far the best part of the book for me.

However, the rest of the book is rather boring and quite judgemental, using words like “pathetic.” The wording rather put me off wanting to finish the book. Key events in Queen Victoria’s and Prince Albert’s family life are skipped over with a single sentence, for example, the birth of the Princess Royal, who also doesn’t receive a name in the book until after her brother has been born.

All in all, I’d say there are better books available on Queen Victoria’s reign.

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this long book, Queen Victoria's reign is spoken of little, or rather, it is spoken of in relation to the character of the protagonist, who is lovingly accompanied from her birth to her death. Since at the time European monarchies were a family business, the narrative extends to the other states, but at the heart of it all is her, the little girl raised by a mother more attentive to etiquette than to the soul, who ascended the throne the very day she left the nursery, who revealed, for better or worse, a character of steel. The book is dated, in its conception and way of presenting the information, yet it is a very pleasant narration that brings the reader closer to a character so far away in "social time".

[Ruth A. Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

For anyone who is interested in English history, especially the reign of Queen Victoria, this is the book for you. The author does a wonderful job of making complicated relationships easy to follow. He was also able to bring out the personality of a simple yet complex personality.

[Terena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice easy read, in chronological order, so the story flows well. I felt the early part of the book did rather concentrate on Albert rather than Victoria, especially bearing in mind the same author has also written a biography about him! It was interesting to see how closely she liaised with, and how much influence she had on, the ruling political parties and Prime Ministers of that era.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting look at one of the most fascinating British rulers, Victoria. The letters were particularly interesting as I had not seen/read those before.

**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a review**

[Michael R. Zuelke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a good overview of the Age of Victoria and I found it in Mr. Bolitho's fine biography. It moved quickly with short chapters and this made for an enjoyable reading experience. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand Victoria and her Age better.

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria

An excellent biography of Queen Victoria. A myriad of information and an extra download offered at the end. An interesting read.

[Katheryn Fitzpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

It contained similar info to other sources one read. Lots of historical facts woven throughout. Interesting read for anyone fascinated by Victoria.

[Lorna Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book

Quite enjoyed this book only thing was felt it was drawn out in parts but otherwise quite a enjoyable book

[Colin Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

Superb book really in depth insight in to the life and important moments in the Queen's life. Enjoyable read. I recommend it.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.
I love anything about Queen Victoria after watching the movie young victoria.
I really enjoyed reading her fathers letters I didn't know much about him before now. While I am 3/4 of the way through I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Queen Victoria. Hector Bolitho did his research very well.

[Jenni Schell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. If you are interested in the history of Queen Victoria or the English Monarchy in general then this book is for you. It is very well written and she was just an all out fascinating woman. The author did a great job bringing Queen Victoria to life. Great job.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully gripping account of a near-golden age

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read that was broken up into short chapters, so it was easy to take a break and pick back up again. I learned so many new facts from this book and enjoyed it immensely!