I requested this book but couldn't download it. However, I decided to buy the book and read it myself.

I pretty much never read non-fiction, but I want to start reading books from this genre once in a while and bought a couple, including this one.

I have been reading it slowly, for the past year and really enjoyed it. I gave it 3.75 stars. It was an informative book and I learned a lot. I didn't know much about 18th-Century Britain before this book, so it was a great introduction for me. Now I am eager to read about other eras as well!

This was a thorough overview of the Georgian period which contained a lot of information and appeared to be extremely well researched. While it was at times a little dry for the casual reader, it's undoubtedly a very useful resource for those with a serious interest in the period.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book is an absolute joy! Corfield brings a huge amount of knowledge about a long period of time (late 17th century to early 19th century) and yet presents it in a very straightforward and enjoyable way. Taking different themes of different sections, she manages to fit in many vignettes linking fact with fiction and quirky little tales to delight. I feel I understand this period so much more!

An interesting history book about an interesting historical timeframe. It's more about what changed and how people faced it.
I learned something new and found this book highly informative and interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Between 1714 and 1830, four Kings called George sat on the English throne. This awe-inspiringly comprehensive history of the country during this period from Penelope J. Corfield is exhaustive in the extent to which it dissects all almost all aspects. of 18th and early 19th century life. Topics covered include religious practice and tolerance, crime and punishment, the industrial revolution, the ongoing struggles of ancient aristocratic families to maintain their status, literacy levels, sexuality, the growing tendency to romanticise criminals such as highwaymen. and much, much more. Hugely impressive and a fascinating read.

"The Georgians" gives an overview of the major developments of the Georgian era in Britain. While I am interested in the subject matter, I couldn't really get into this book. The writing was rather dry and the "then-now-chapters" didn't really add anything important, in my opinion.

While many topics were touched on, none were really dealt with in any depth and I caught myself skimming over some chapters.

As a reviewer, I’m often given free electronic copies of books and Penelope J. Corfield’s book, The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century Britain, was one such book, given to me by the publisher through NetGalley. However, I have only subsequently purchased a physical copy of the book on two occasions – why would I, if I have a free one? However, I think the Georgians will be #3. I want this book on my bookshelf. It left me stunned. How can one person, even an Emeritus Professor like Corfield, know so much about so many topics – and have the skill to fit them together in this highly, highly readable Rubik’s cube? She admits in the introduction that the book has taken many years to complete and I can believe it. I have seldom read a book that covers so much so well.

The book comprises five parts:
I. The Georgian Debating an Age of Change
II. The Georgians Experiencing Change in Daily Life
III. The Georgians Ruling and Resisting
IV. The Georgians in Social Ferment
V. The Georgians Viewed Long
Oh, and approximately sixty pages of erudite endnotes.

As can be deduced from that structure, Corfield shows us how things changed over the long eighteenth century, illustrating points with the stories of individuals; citing books; and at the end of each chapter, suggesting further reading; a list of places to visit in person or online; and even a Youtube performance of The Rivals. She makes the point that Georgians were aware of change and were keen to share their views about it was for better or worse. Corfield goes back to sources and debunks several myths.

Based upon Corfield’s book, my belief is that the reason it’s so interesting to look back and study the Georgian Age was because, as she states, the numbers of both men and women who were literate and numerate overtook – for the first time in Britain’s history – the numbers of the illiterate and innumerate. That increase in people who COULD write translated to an increase in the numbers who DID write – and hence we have so much more evidence of contemporary thoughts and beliefs than we do for previous ages. But it is such a comprehensive book and so well argued that you might have a different view – and so might I, the next time I read it. And I shall re-read it, probably several times – and certainly keep it as my “go to” reference book for ALL aspects of life from the 1690s to the 1830s.

#TheGeorgians #NetGalley

*Many thanks to Penelope J. Corfield, Yale University Press, London, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
One of the best books on the period I have read. The Author covers all aspects of life. The book does not include gossips and is a superbly researched and written tome on the Georgians which aims to explain their mentality and achievements that paved the path for the 19th century Britain with regard to the law, industry, medicine and social changes.

Georgian England is one of my favourite historical periods and I have, therefore, already read many texts about the era. What I enjoyed most about Penelope J. Corfield's The Georgians was the different approach she made, compared to other books on the same topic. Rather than just working through by year or theme, commenting on the events and the people from a modern perspective, Corfield focuses on changes and innovations that took place during the period from the point of view of its contemporaries, looking at what people living in that time thought about the world they inhabited, as recorded in novels, essays and diaries/memoirs. Even if you already know a lot about the Georgian period, I recommend anyone interested in that time to check out this book for its fresh approach and outlook. I still learnt something new and was able to take something away from this text despite all my former reading on the subject. For me, this was a 4.5-star read which I will round up to a five.