The Wives of George IV


Book Description

The scandalous life of George IV is revealed in this account of his marriage to Princess Caroline and his secret union with a longtime mistress. In Georgian England, few men were more eligible than the Prince of Wales. The heir to George III’s throne would seem to be an excellent catch. Though the two women who married him might beg to differ. Maria Fitzherbert was a twice-widowed Roman Catholic with a natural aversion to trouble. When she married the prince in a secret ceremony, she opened the door on three decades of heartbreak. Cast aside by her husband one minute, pursued by him tirelessly the next, Maria’s clandestine marriage was anything but blissful. It was also the worst kept secret in England. Caroline of Brunswick was George’s official bride. Little did she know that her husband was marrying for money. When she arrived for the ceremony, she found him so drunk that he couldn’t even walk to the altar. Caroline might not have her husband’s love, but the public adored her. In a world where radicalism was stirring, it was a recipe for disaster. In The Wives of George IV, Maria and Caroline navigate the choppy waters of marriage to the capricious, womanizing king-in-waiting. With a queen on trial for adultery and the succession itself in the balance, Britain had never seen scandal like it.




1820


Book Description

Integrating in detail the experiences of both Britain and Ireland, 1820 provides a compelling narrative and analysis of the United Kingdom in a year of European revolution. It charts the events and forces that tested the government almost to its limits, and the processes and mechanisms through which order was maintained. This book will be required reading for everyone interested in late-Georgian and early nineteenth-century Britain or Ireland. 1820 is about much more than a single year. Locating the Queen Caroline divorce crisis within a broader analysis of the challenges confronting the government, it places that much-investigated episode in a new light. It illuminates both the pivotal Tory Ministry under Lord Liverpool and the Whigs (by turns febrile and feeble) who opposed it. It is also a major contribution to our understanding of popular radicalism and its political containment.




Queens of Georgian Britain


Book Description

An account of four royal women that’s “as inherently fascinating as it is exceptionally informative . . . an extraordinary read from beginning to end” (Midwest Book Review). Once upon a time there were four kings called George who, thanks to a quirk of fate, ruled Great Britain for over a century. Hailing from Germany, these occasionally mad, bad, and infamous sovereigns presided over a land in turmoil. Yet what of the remarkable women who were crowned alongside them? From the forgotten princess locked in a tower to an illustrious regent, a devoted consort, and a notorious party girl, the queens of Georgian Britain lived lives of scandal, romance, and turbulent drama. Whether dipping into politics or carousing on the shores of Italy, Caroline of Ansbach, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Caroline of Brunswick refused to fade into the background. Queens of Georgian Britain offers a chance to step back in time and meet the women who ruled alongside the Georgian monarchs, not forgetting Sophia Dorothea of Celle, the passionate princess who never made it as far as the throne. From lonely childhoods to glittering palaces, via family feuds, smallpox, strapping soldiers, and plenty of scheming, these are the queens who shaped an era. “A lively deep dive into the lives of four women regularly overshadowed by their husbands . . . Curzon is a captivating writer and this book is an impressive addition to her existing Georgian books.” —The Lazy Historian “Curzon has a breezy, colloquial style . . . an easy and informative read.” —Historical Novels Review




The Italian Idea


Book Description

A dual-perspective study of how English engagement with Italy, and the work of Italian exiles in London, radicalised Romantic poetry.




The Scandal of George III's Court


Book Description

From Windsor to Weymouth, the shadow of scandal was never too far from the walls of the House of Hanover. Did a fearsome duke really commit murder or a royal mistress sell commissions to the highest bidders, and what was the truth behind George III's supposed secret marriage to a pretty Quaker?With everything from illegitimate children to illegal marriages, dead valets and equerries sneaking about the palace by candlelight, these eyebrow-raising tales from the reign of George III prove that the highest of births is no guarantee of good behavior. Prepare to meet some shocking ladies, some shameless gentlemen and some politicians who really should know better. So tighten your stays, hoist up your breeches and prepare for a gallop through some of the most shocking royal scandals from the court of George III's court. You'll never look at a king in the same way again…







Dancing on Ropes


Book Description

'Full of lively stories ... leaves the reader with an awed respect for the translator's task' Economist Would Hiroshima have been bombed if Japanese contained a phrase meaning 'no comment'? Is it alright for missionaries to replace the Bible's 'white as snow' with 'white as fungus' in places where snow never falls? Who, or what, is Kuzma's mother, and why was Nikita Khrushchev so threateningly obsessed with her (or it)? The course of diplomacy rarely runs smooth; without an invisible army of translators and interpreters, it could hardly run at all. Join veteran translator Anna Aslanyan to explore hidden histories of cunning and ambition, heroism and incompetence. Meet the figures behind the notable events of history, from the Great Game to Brexit, and discover just how far a simple misunderstanding can go.