Meet the Georgians: Epic Tales from Britain’s Wildest Century

by Robert Peal

‘Mad, bad and dangerous to know’ is how Lord Byron, the poet who drank wine from a monk’s skull and slept with his half-sister, was described by one of his many lovers. But ‘mad, bad and dangerous’ serves as a good description for the entire Georgian period: often neglected, the hundred or so years between the coronation of George I in 1714 and the death of George IV in 1830 were years when the modern world was formed, and changes came thick and fast.

Across this century, new foods – pineapples, coffee and pepper – suddenly became available in the shops. Fashion exploded into a riot of colour, frilly shirts and wigs. Gin was drunk like it was water. Demands for women’s rights were heard, and it became possible to question the existence of God without fear of prompt execution.

These exciting new developments came, of course, from the expanding British Empire. Britain’s wealth and its sudden access to chocolate, chillies and spices, was entirely bound up with the conquest of overseas territories and the miserable suffering of enslaved workers.

This is the backdrop to Robert Peal’s new book, which introduces the Georgian era through the diverse lives of twelve people who defined it. Some seized the more enjoyable opportunities of this new era. Others fought fiercely for change, the advancement of knowledge or personal freedoms.

This book blows the dust off a riotous century and its people. Each of the extraordinary characters contained within made the Georgian era their own, and in doing so made history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, 18th Century, Historical, British Literature, Biography

300 pages, Hardcover

Published July 8, 2021

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read several books on the Georgians, I was nicely surprised to find stories of some people I have never heard before. This is a good collection of tales of those who lived under the Hanoverians and did most unusual things and had extraordinary lives. Not only Lord Byron left his mark on the period.
Easy and enjoyable non-fiction.
*Many thanks to Robert Peale, William Collins, and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and accessible history book, exploring the Georgian period through a few fascinating figures.

[Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to William Collins and NetGalley for a review copy of the book.

The Georgian Era or the period between 1714 and the 1830s when the four Georges ruled England, as the author Robert Peal tells us, was set apart from the preceding Stuarts and succeeding Victorians, both sterner and duller (at least on the surface), by its relative political stability, merry-making and fun loving people, relaxed morals, and extravagant and colourful fashions. Spices and new delicacies from chocolate to chilli were entering the markets, the Empire was growing, but at the same time important political victories were also being won by the people.

Meet the Georgians explores this vibrant period in English history, but not by simply telling the story of the period, but by looking at the lives and stories of twelve personalities (in some cases, sets of personalities) from different walks of life who represent different facets of the period. These women and men include pirates and politicians, poets and adventurers, rebels and claimants to the throne, inventors and discoverers.

While some of these very much represented the age—like John Wiles and Byron who certainly were rakes—others rebelled against convention managing to live the lives they wanted or at least of their own making. Anne Bonny and Mary Read with their unusual upbringings (both were dressed by their respective fathers as boys) went on to become pirates that terrorized the seas from the pirate country of Nassau. On the other hand, Sarah Ponsonby and Eleanor Butler, ‘the ladies of Llangollen’, brought up in conventional Irish families, rejected conventional life, and moved to Wales where they created for themselves an idyllic rural retreat. Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote in defence of the rights of women, Mary Anning, the ‘fossil hunter’, who contributed to geology and palaeontology, and Lady Hester Stanhope who travelled the world, ending up as a mystic in Syria, too lived their lives in defiance of all convention.

John Wilkes may have been a rake but he won for people the right to criticize government. James Watt, in contrast suffered depression and personal and financial trouble for a large part of his life, but his creation of a more efficient and workable steam engine not only revolutionised the world, but also brought him wealth he had never had. Olaudah Equiano was sold into slavery but rose to wealth and prominence bringing before people the reality of Britain’s slave trade in his book. Also making her own way from rags to riches was Emma Lyon, who rose from humble beginnings to become Lady Hamilton (she was also a dancer and mistress to Nelson, among others), who could count among her friends, royalty. Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’ held his own against the East India Company which could only gain victory in its fourth attempt. But Charles III or Bonnie Prince Charles didn’t quite consider the advice given him, failing to regain the throne for the Stuarts. Byron too, failed in battle, but his poetry remains widely read to this day.

I loved the refreshing approach that the author has taken in the book of tracing the story of an age through its people—and what an interesting collection of people he has picked. Some were ‘known’ to me while others weren’t but each was fascinating in their own way. While some may have been more flamboyant than others, each had a distinct personality and all led unusual (and very interesting) lives, together taking us to different corners of the world.

It was interesting that though Peal has devoted an equal number of chapters to men and women, there did end up being more women than men he has talked about (with Anne Bonny and Mary Read; Sarah Ponsonby and Lady Eleanor Butler working/living in pairs). What stood out about most, in fact, all of the women here was how they questioned, or flouted, or lived their lives contrary to convention, and relatively successfully in a sense, in an age where women had few rights and could opt for few occupations. And still, there was a level of acceptance of the paths they chose.

The author has kept the tone and writing light-hearted and humorous throughout which makes for very easy and enjoyable reading. Some of the word choices weren’t so appealing though. Also while the book is labelled adult non-fiction, it seems more geared to a younger (perhaps teen) audience.

Still, I found it to be a really interesting read, as colourful as the people it is about. 4.25 stars.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly pitched, these 12 stories offer flashes of the Georgian experience, from big names to the lesser known. They're punchy, yet impactful stories, clearly aiming to amuse as well as inform. It's an engaging intro, an easy read that nevertheless refuses to shy away from the darker side of the period.

Recommended.



ARC via Netgalley

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew about some of the people mentioned in this book and some of the facts and themes but as a whole I havnt tought or read much about the Georigans at least not enough to think it as much as a century. I've read and tought more on the Victorians for example.

[nettebuecherkiste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super. Ein paar Biografien kannte ich natürlich schon halbwegs, aber das hat richtig Spaß gemacht.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and very readable history of Georgian Britain. It's mainly twelve potted biographies of people who had an impact on their times, including Mary Anning, Mary Woolstonecraft, Lord Byron, Anne Bonney (a pirate; I'd not heard of her), Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Olaudah Equiano (a freed slave who wrote one of the first slave narratives and was a key figure in the abolitionist movement). Each chapter gives a good overview and there were quite a few I would like to read more about. The author makes the period sound like some fun times, though of course not everyone lived so freely, much like not everyone was swinging in the sixties, a period he likens these times to. Excellent for a basic understanding.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

[Stephen Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m usually a fan of popular history books but, at times, I found this one a bit too simplistic. It appears to model itself on the BBC podcast ‘You’re Dead to Me’, which describes itself as a history lesson for people who don’t like history. The author’s choice of Georgian characters is designed to make the stereotypical point that the hundred years of British history was all flamboyance, drunkenness and wild sex. But then Robert Peal tries to have his cake and eat it by saying that, of course, it wasn’t all like this.
Even so, if you don’t know much about the period, this is a light, entertaining read.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I cannot recall how many programmes I have seen on or about the Victorians, their successes and flaws are well documented and we still live with glimpses of their buildings and the social norms that they imposed on our society. I didn’t know much about the people of the Georgian age though, and this book intends to make people more aware of them.

Peel has chosen twelve people to show Georgian Society. Rather than pick from the aristocracy and political elite, though a couple of them do feature, we have and wide range of people. Some are well known, or in Lord Byron’s case that is more infamy, and there are others that had faded into obscurity. He uses that to show how open and permissive the society was compared to the stuffy and secretive Victorians.

I did have a few favourites from the people he featured. Anne Bonny and Mary read were pirates showed the men how to do cause havoc in the Caribbean properly. Tipu Sultan was a name that I hadn’t come across before. He was famous for keeping the entire British Empire at bay for many years.

Being an engineer, I had heard of James Watt so knew most of the story of his success in steam engines. And of course, there is Dorset’s own Mary Anning. Even though she didn’t get credit for it at the time, it was her work in finding at cataloguing the fossils that she found on the cliff of Lyme Regis that created the science of planetology. We mustn’t forget that she was poor and uneducated and still could hold her own against the learned gentlemen of Oxford University.

Overall this is a reasonable book. Peal has managed to make the history of the Georgian period relatively accessible as he explores it through the lives of twelve people. It is not a serious history book, so if you are expecting detailed analysis and scholarly prose then this might not be the book for you. It is an easy and entertaining read and he does helpfully provide a list of further reading, should you want to explore this period in history more.

[Gareth Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and irreverent at galloping pace through the mad, bad, and dangerous to know of the 18th century. A perfect introduction to the Georgian era, as well as thoroughly entertaining.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Meet the Georgians’ is a bit up and down. I really enjoyed the introduction, which gave an overview of the Georgian age. This is followed by 12 biographies of famous Georgians, including Byron, Watt and Wollestonecraft. These varied in how interesting they were to me – Mary Anning, Lady Hamilton and Olaudah Equiano were my favourites , but I couldn’t finish Bonny Prince Charlie or Tipu Sultan, which were of the ‘list of battles’ type.
Despite its lively style, this book is quite a traditional presentation of history: the recount of actions and events with little examination of motivation or context. It had a quite narrow focus on each person without making links between them, or looking at the impact of their actions.
For example, John Wilkes got rich by marrying but then separated. What about his wife? We see in other chapters the weak financial position of women. Lady Hamilton started life in poverty and ended it likewise, despite her fame.
Peal’s introduction and conclusion show that he has the ability to contextualise historical events; I just wish he’d done this more consistently.

[Lora Milton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction historical account of the Georgian era of English history, 1714 - 1830 which covers the Hanoverian kings, George I, George II, George III and George IV. It was apparently a wild time among the nobility and such historic figures as Lord Byron and the pirate women, Mary Read and Anne Bonny, come from this era.

I love the tone of the book. It reminds me of the brutal honesty of the Horrible Histories books, but doesn't have to pull punches on sex or violence as it's written for adult readers. This book tells it like it was with no whitewashing.

The chapters cover specific historical characters whose notable excesses capture the imagination, starting with the above mentioned pirate women, Mary Read and Anne Bonny. This is followed by a chapter on Bonnie Prince Charlie, whose history I knew little about and mostly only from movies. It seems the real history is far less romantic, yet very illustrative of the bold adventures of the time.

John Wilkes follows, whom I knew nothing about save for his namesake, John Wilkes Booth. The original John Wilkes is a far more colourful character and and very significant to English history, as he got the common citizen the vote!

Next up is Tipu Sultan, an Indian ruler who along with his father kept the British Empire at Bay. This is largely a military history, but he took on the East India Company and kept them off for three decades, which is truely impressive when you see what else was going on. The more I read of the East India Company history in China and India, the more I appreciate the cost of Empire and what my country's history has to be ashamed of.

Speaking of which, an ex-slave features in the next chapter, Olaudah Equiano. I'd never heard his name before reading this. He disappeared from history for about fifty years but then was rediscovered as he published books about his experiences. It's an inspiring story to say the least.

While some of his life was typical for an African slave of the time, his particular path opened opportunities for education and becoming a seafarer. Sold into slavery twice, he wrote a book to bring some of his more horrendous experiences and those of other slaves to the attention of the British public and politicians who had been turning a blind eye to the human reality behind the commerce.

Another figure to make waves in the status quo of the era follows, Mary Wollstonecraft who brought us women's rights. Then we learn about The Ladies of Llangollen who defied convention to live together in Wales, possibly as the first openly lesbian couple in Britain.

Keeping the unconventional girl power going we next learn about Lady Hamilton, who defied the unwritten rule of the era that whatever clss you're born into, you stay in. She slept with all the right people and became a darling of the nobility, eventually marrying a title, then fell from grace after her husband's death as the jealous enemies she had accrued pushed her off the cliff.

Hester Stanhope follows with her escape from the restrictions of the nobility in England to become a European curiosity in the East, settling in Syria and dressing like a man. Her exploits make for a great read, especially when you know the usual restrictions on women of the era in all the countries she lived in.

At last we come to Lord Byron, perhaps the best known of the unconventional characters of the Georgian era, characterised as "Mad, bad and dangerous to know. A few surprises in that chapter but definitely someone I wouldn't have liked. Next up we have Mary Anning, whom I hadn't heard of before but should have, considering her contributions to science. She played a major role in discovering large fossils in the cliffs of Lyme Regis, yet had credit stolen by the men who bought them from her. Typical.

James Watt comes last. His name really should be known by all Steampunk fans as he brought us steam power! He didn't invent steam technology, but he made it work efficiently and was an engineering genius. His story is beyond interesting, though it's sort of his fault that the planet is dying as a result of industrialisation.

We wrap up with some history about the end of the era and the transition to the very different Victorian era. King George IV coloured his reign with his own excesses, only to end up with a religious backlash that affects us still today. The book is a fascinating look at this part of history in ways that school wouldn't cover and it makes for a very informative and enjoyable read.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really fun look on historical figures and the time period in general. It gave us a really broad cast of characters. A light historical non fic read!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never highlighted more than with this book. Out of the 12 people that this book talks about I knew only 3 before reading, now I want to read biographies of every single on of them.

[Mana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgian era, between 1714 and the 1830s, was era full of fast changes; new foods, such as pepper, pineapple, chocolate, spices, chillies and coffee became available, fashion was colourful and exaggerated, alcohol (especially gin) consumed in vast quantities, British Empire expanded and with it human rights, questions about God, freedom, celebration of sex and much more.

The author introduces this era through lives of twelve Georgian people who defined it. Pirates, prince, former slave, women, poets and others, all exceptional in their competence area.

The book is full of facts, funny stories, witt, entertainment, education and captivates all history lovers.

And ... maybe you will consider to join the "farting" club, whose members met once a week in order to "poison the neighbouring air with their unsavoury crepitations." ;)

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to William Collins for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Meet the Georgians: Epic Tales from Britain’s Wildest Century’ by Robert Peal in exchange for an honest review.

Robert Peal is a history teacher and the author of the Knowing History textbook series for use in Secondary Schools.

In ‘Meet the Georgians’ he provides an overview of the Georgian era through the examination of twelve diverse people whose lives defined it. Some of these were already known to me, while others were new. In addition, there is an introduction and conclusion. Following the main text Peal presents further reading for each of the fourteen chapters.

While it’s not quite ‘Horrible Histories’, Peal presents the history of this riotous period with a light touch and plenty of wit. Yet he also covers more serious issues such as widespread poverty, social injustice, the slave trade and Britain’s continuing colonial ambitions.

I found this book both informative and entertaining. In his Conclusion Peal writes about the cultural transition from the Georgians to the Victorians and hints that there might be a ‘Meet the Victorians’. Yes, please!

I feel that ‘Meet the Georgians’ will appeal to those interested in learning more about this period of British history as well as to librarians and educators.

[Mai Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great fun, engaging read.

I loved meeting the disparate characters of the 18th Century. I've been researching the time period and this has provided some excellent anecdotes.

I particularly loved the description of the Hellfire Club and how they entered their headquarters by walking through a mocked-up version of a female's nether regions. Appalling!

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this author in the future. He has a real knack for bringing history to life.

[Charlotte Kluskens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book with such pleasure. For being a history book, it read very easily and is amusing. The lives of twelve remarkable characters from the Georgian era were discussed in separate chapters, in a way that was easy to comprehend. This book read almost like fiction, and I could get lost in the time period which was ideal for what I was reading it for: research.

I also loved the introduction and conclusion chapters as they provided a lot of extra information on the time frame and hinted at life in the Victorian age.

It is by no means a complete history, but it was a great start into the subject. At the end he provided more reading material which I’ll happy delve into later.

[Jane Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book I didn't know a great deal about the Georgians...but here I am now wishing I was a fly on the wall during the whole era. Full of debauchery and raucous behaviour, a bit too much to drink, a few too many parties and extra marital liaisons, it certainly wasn't a boring piece of history. I appreciated how Peal balanced out the reckless, laugh out loud moments with the darker side of slavery, abandoned women and infant mortality amongst many more. It was an extremely well balanced and informative look into a part of history that sometimes gets glossed over. I particularly loved the chapter on the Ladies of Llangollen which is a bit of local history for me and also (years ago) I read a book on the Ladies and I wrote a letter to Plas Newydd House and they posted it on their noticeboard. I don't know whether it's cringe or cute. This must be 20 plus years ago by the way, not last year, FYI. Roll on the next book, I can't wait to Meet the Victoria's.

Thank you @netgalley and @4thestatebooks and @wmcollinsbooks for the ARC in return for an honest review. Meet the Georgians is out on July 8th 2021.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riotously enjoyable romp through the lives of some of
the most notable Georgians, filled with engaging commentary that paints a portrait of “Britain’s wildest century”. A fast, easy and enlightening read for anyone interested in history — far from a stuffy narrative, Peal’s boom is Bill Bryson-esque in its balance of humor and fact. Hard to put down.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were some interesting mini-biographies, ones that we don't always hear about when we consider the Georgian period. However, the stories were too short to get as in-depth as I prefer, even when reading micro-histories.

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****

So this is such a weird one for me: I like the idea, and the people featured are fascinating, but the writing style is strangely uneven - at times it feels like the author is trying to be Greg Jenner (chatty informal style) but trying to hard and it’s only in patches before it reverts to something more standard. It’s still very accessibly written in the rest of it, but it has these weird bits where it all sounds a bit “how do you do fellow kids”. For me, the introduction also spoilt a bit of the fun/mystery of finding out who the people were - a lot of the key details were in there. Thinking about it, it’s a bit like a history essay in book form: here is my theory, here is the evidence for my theory, here is my conclusion with a reminder of my theory and a look ahead. Additionally the cover is a bit out of step with the audience I feel like it’s trying for. Great idea, but fails down a bit in the execution and packaging.

[Rew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about my favourite historical period. Written in a light hearted style, Robert Peal introduces you to twelve characters from Georgian history, including well known names such as Lord Byron, as well as names that should be well known like Hester Stanhope.

I found it a great exploration of Georgian culture, taking my view beyond the Regency period of Jane Austen to see the full richness of the century.

[Adam Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A jolly romp through a seemingly jolly period of British history, occasionally let down by its 'fun teacher' tone.

This is a well selected series of profiles of figures from the Georgian period, with a common strand that they defied the social, political or economic order. Several are likely to be familiar to most readers -the chapter on Byron is brief enough to suggest even the author felt there wasn't much more to say- but enough are likely to be unknown or only dimly remembered.

While the focus is on extraordinary figures, Peal lightly introduces enough of the social background for a wider understanding of the Georgian period, such as the conversion of John Wilkes from aristocratic libertine to rabble rouser, or the financial struggles of Mary Anning even as her fossil discoveries revolutionised the geological understanding of the age.

Unfortunately sometimes the writing lapses into a hectoring enthusiasm. The briefest description of James Watt's steam engine is prefaced with 'here comes the scientific bit' - at least in a Horrible Histories book you'd likely get a cartoon which would do a better job at the description.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides the reader with a nice and short glimpse at some of the more famous or infamous Georgians who left their mark on a rather interesting period in British history.
The writing style is entertaining, the personalities are well portrayed. I would have also liked to see an average, non-famous person from that period in this book as well in order to represent ordinary people whose names are long forgotten.
Readers that already are very familiar with the Georgian period will probably meet some old acquaintances in this book, but for those who don't know many names beyond Jane Austen will find some inspiration to dig deeper into the lives of these interesting historical figures.

[Olivia Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book to be fairly average. A nice way to dive into the Georgian period by breaking it down into several key figures. I found the writing to resemble a horrible histories book for adults at times.

[Jeremy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The third chapter on John Wilkes unfortunately follows the common English narrative of ignoring the means by which he attacked the governement of the time through outright scotophobia - only alluding to it as a bit of a "dig at Bute's Scottish heritage". It could be argued that this book is not about nuanced portraits. However, in this age of reckoning, I find it difficult to accept the celebration of a person who used racist language and propaganda to promote English (not British) 'liberty'.

[Rebecca Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun

This entertaining book contains vignettes of the lives of
a selection of Georgian characters, many of whom are well known, but some less so. An easy and enjoyable read.

[George Foord · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction for someone not well read in the Georgians. I loved the stories about the lesser known women.

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this delight of a book. I love Georgette Heyer's novels, that are set in the Georgian Era, and it's a historical period I really like-I've read , and loved, both Holmes' 'Age of wonder' and Robert Morrison's 'The Regency years' , and I was wondering if Peal would cover familiar ground. I needn't have, Peal's book has a totally fresh take on it, and owes more to Horrible Histories than to academia. attempts to show you the breadth of Georgian life through the lives of 12 Eminent Georgians'. None of the usual suspects, though: this was a period when Empire was expanding and so was the slave trade, shown through the lives of Tipu Sultan and Olaudah Equiano. The chapter on TIpu Sultan is so evocative, he plunges you into the state and the palaces, and the battles. THere's a fun chapter on pirates, told through the lives of 2 female pirates, that's much better than the Pirates of The Caribbean movies from the 2nd one onwards, combined! It was also a time when access to education increased, and the British Patent Law encouraged innovation, a factor that contributed to James Watt's life, in one of the best chapters in the book. There was political instability and the danger to succession, illustrated through the deeply stirring and moving chapter on the Battle of Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie's hubris, and John WIlkes' life, a champion of holding politicians accountable. The ideas of marrying for love, and choosing your partner were slightly more accepted, and personified by the Ladies of Llangolen-it's lovely to get more detail on their pioneering lives-alternate sexualities aren't a new idea, and it's nice to see them being acknowledged in history. Peal traces the developments in the era through their lives, and ends aptly with the Industrial Revolution, all its upheavals,and the VIctorian Age around the corner. He ends it saying to know more about them, we'll have to read' Meet the Victorians', and I wish he would hurry up and write that as soon as possible!