Point Books During Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
| Original Title: | Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire |
| ISBN: | 0375753834 (ISBN13: 9780375753831) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | George IV of the United Kingdom, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire |
| Literary Awards: | Whitbread Award for Biography (1998) |
Be Specific About Regarding Books Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
| Title | : | Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire |
| Author | : | Amanda Foreman |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 456 pages |
| Published | : | January 16th 2001 by Modern Library (first published 1998) |
| Categories | : | History. Biography. Nonfiction. Historical |
Description Conducive To Books Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British aristocracy and the intimate story of a woman who for a time was its undisputed leader. Lady Georgiana Spencer was the great-great-great-great-aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, and was nearly as famous in her day. In 1774, at the age of seventeen, Georgiana achieved immediate celebrity by marrying one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats, the Duke of Devonshire. Launched into a world of wealth and power, she quickly became the queen of fashionable society, adored by the Prince of Wales, a dear friend of Marie-Antoinette, and leader of the most important salon of her time. Not content with the role of society hostess, she used her connections to enter politics, eventually becoming more influential than most of the men who held office. Her good works and social exploits made her loved by the multitudes, but Georgiana's public success, like Diana's, concealed a personal life that was fraught with suffering. The Duke of Devonshire was unimpressed by his wife's legendary charms, preferring instead those of her closest friend, a woman with whom Georgiana herself was rumored to be on intimate terms. For over twenty years, the three lived together in a jealous and uneasy ménage à trois, during which time both women bore the Duke's children—as well as those of other men. Foreman's descriptions of Georgiana's uncontrollable gambling, all-night drinking, drug taking, and love affairs with the leading politicians of the day give us fascinating insight into the lives of the British aristocracy in the era of the madness of King George III, the American and French revolutions, and the defeat of Napoleon. A gifted young historian whom critics are already likening to Antonia Fraser, Amanda Foreman draws on a wealth of fresh research and writes colorfully and penetratingly about the fascinating Georgiana, whose struggle against her own weaknesses, whose great beauty and flamboyance, and whose determination to play a part in the affairs of the world make her a vibrant, astonishingly contemporary figure.
Rating Regarding Books Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
Ratings: 3.81 From 15963 Users | 1138 ReviewsJudgment Regarding Books Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
An entertaining biography. Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, was charming, intelligent and creative; she was the leader of high society in late 18th-century London; she was an author and an amateur scientist. She was also a key figure in the Whig political party. She broke new ground for the participation of women in politics (much of which would be lost in the Victorian age) and also for the use of personal celebrity to advance a political cause. The authors doctoral thesis was on GeorgianaThis was a book, that I would like to have loved, but ultimately, it did not cut the mustard, pass the port, or lead in the quadrille. The bac story to Foreman's research is fantastic - she was studying 18th century British politics and was taught that the involvement of women like the Duchess of Devonshire was basically just eye candy for the voters, but she found out that Georgiana for the Whigs and later the Duchess of Gordon for Pitt the younger were important political figures because women
I yield at around the two-thirds mark. Couldnt finish this one. I found my mind wandering, chunks of narration just not sinking in, and even nodding off from time to time. It just isnt grabbing my attention or engaging me. For me, the book gets bogged down in the minutiae, frequently diverging into lengthy tangents describing in excruciating detail aspects of society and politics that seemed to have only a tenuous connection with Georgiana herself. All in all I found it very dry going. Also, its
An excellent book. I'd rate it as 5 stars, if only something happened when I click on the stars!It was the first book that had begun to answer my numerous questions about daily life in pre-Austen England (although the daily life of the Duchess of Devonshire is hardly indicative of everybody elses). Remarcably documented, beautifully written and very informative, it's by far in my current top 10!
This is a Biography of the notorious Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire, chatelaine of Chatsworth and 5 other amazing properties. This book was used to inspire the movie, The Duchess http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0864761/. Thanks to dear Marlene here is a fascinating blog post about the movie and the wedding of Lady Georgiana Spencer (yes those Spencers) to the Duke. http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.... [This blog is Absolutely Fascinating and once you start reading you will be sucked in]The
A fantastic, in depth look at a classy lady. I enjoyed this a lot. A great book!
Just arrived from USA through BM. This is biography of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire who was the great-great-great-great-aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales. Amanda Foreman's research work brings to life this famous historical and aristocratic character. By marrying William Cavendish in 1774, she became a famous figure due to her political and fashion ambitions. The book has plenty of Georgiana's correspondence, pictures and newspapers of that time giving engraving details of her life. I haven't
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