Victoria the queen An intimate biography of the woman who ruled an empire

Julia Baird

Sound recording - 2016

A magnificent biography of Queen Victoria by International New York Times columnist Julia Baird. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, 'Victoria: The Queen' is a stunning new portrait of the real woman behind the myth - a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience. When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would begin to threaten many of Europe's monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public's expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger parts of the globe. Born into a wor...ld where woman were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand. Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother's meddling and an adviser's bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty years old, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security-queen of a quarter of the world's population at the height of the British Empire's reach.

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
[Minneapolis, MN] : HighBridge Audio [2016]
Language
English
Main Author
Julia Baird (author)
Other Authors
Lucy Raynor (narrator)
Edition
Unabridged
Physical Description
17 audio discs (21 hrs., 15 min.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in
ISBN
9781681680743
Contents unavailable.
Review by Library Journal Review

For 63 years, Victoria (1819-1901) ruled Great Britain, during a period of unparalleled invention and expansion of the Empire, marked mostly by peace. Baird, an Australian journalist and historian, uncovers new information for this carefully researched biography, to present a feminist view that disputes the idea of a queen who abdicated her responsibilities to live in perpetual sadness after the early death of her husband, Albert. Instead, Baird contends that Victoria, while very happy as a subservient wife, emerged from mourning to rule for another 40 years, actively engaging in matters of state and battling with Williams Gladstone, one of her prime ministers, whom she loathed. She even survived several attempts on her life. Mother of nine children, six born in six years, Victoria hated pregnancy and childbirth and pioneered the use of chloroform during labor. She had a relationship suspected to be sexual with her Scottish servant John Brown, one detail among many covered up by the royal family. Lucy Rayner narrates in a clear British dialect. VERDICT Baird succeeds in portraying Victoria as an intelligent, emotional, and impetuous queen, quite different from the way history has perceived her. History buffs and Anglophiles will love this book. ["Engaging, smoothly rendered...excellent": LJ 7/16 review of the Random hc.]-Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.