A collection of essays on the Edwardian Age based on texts written at that time.
I. On the Character of the Edwardian Age
II. On J. B. Priestley: The Excesses of Edwardian High Society
III. On Paul Thompson: Sidney Ford (lower middle class, London)
IV. On Vita Sackville-West: Parties and Meals: A Helpful Routine
V. Conclusion
At first glance it seems ridiculous speaking of an 'age' when the period that has to be given a name did not last any longer than ten years. However those ten years which all of the three authors write about, truly deserve this attribute although it appears as rather 'dull' compared to the period before, namely the reign of Victoria (Porter, p. 128), a hectic and heroic age when battles were fought and won and frontiers were pushed forward. The term Edwardian Age does not only stand for the reign of Edward, but also for a very special place in British history which marks the changeover from the old to the modern British society. It is associated with a huge number of political and social developments. The question all of the three texts try to answer is whether the Edwardian Age should be regarded as a golden age or as an age of crisis, which has obviously been discussed since the era itself. In fact, there are reasons to define the Edwardian Age with both of these terms...
