Queen Victoria: A Personal History

Description

Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and died in 1901 at the age of nearly eighty-two. For more than 60 years she presided over 20 governments, and a country undergoing profound economic, social and political change. In "Queen Victoria: A Personal History" we see Victoria develop from the young, inexperienced Queen in thrall to the charming, cynical and devoted Melbourne, to the intimidating matriarch who so terrified members of her household that they were once seen scurrying away across the lawn at Sandringham, crying "The Queen! The Queen!" when she appeared unexpectedly at the garden door. Victoria and her ministers are brought vividly to life, as are all those whom the Queen came to know, to love, dislike, revere or denigrate, from her mother's friend Sir John Conroy to her own adored husband, Prince Albert, who patiently endured her petulant tantrums. This biography is based on a wide variety of sources, including the Queen's voluminous correspondence and intimate journals.

Christopher Hibbert was educated at Radley and Oriel College, Oxford. He served as an infantry officer during the war, was twice wounded and was awarded the MC in 1945. His books include The Destruction of Lord Raglan (which won the Heinemann Award for Literature in 1962); biographies of Mussolini, Garibaldi and Elizabeth I; Venice: The Biography of a City; The English: A Social History 1066-1945; Cavaliers and Roundheads; Nelson: A Personal History; and Wellington: A Personal History (HC 1997 hdbk & 1998 pbk).

'This book is, I think, his masterpiece...he has portrayed her as physically and imaginatively passionate, a loveable monster who, for all her extreme oddness, came to embody the aspirations and character not only of a nation, but of an Empire which embraced half the globe.' A. N. Wilson, Daily Mail 'A splendid book in every respect.' Simon Heffer, Country Life '[Hibbert] succeeds in weaving a vast tangle of sources into a driving story. It is a testimony to his skill that he manages to make his 557-page book feel, If anything, a tad too short... it meticulously fleshes out the little butterball of a woman who came to dominate not only her own time, but ours as well.' Kathryn Hughes, Daily Telegraph 'Full of scholarly references and splendidly produced.' Robert Blake, Sunday Telegraph 'A deliciously gossipy but thoughtful biography...an exceptional portrait of a homely, formidably strong-willed woman who used her power both admirably and abominably.' Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times 'A lively, episodic account of a remarkable woman's life...particularly strong on the stifling dullness of court life, Victoria's extraordinary relations with her Scottish and Indian servants, and her absolute domination of her children.' Evening Standard 'An unrivalled portrait of a marriage...she emerges from his compelling narrative a more real, complex and fascinating figure than ever before.' Financial Times 'This personal history provides as much food for thought as it does narrative energy and excitement.' Scotsman