Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906
A sweeping history of nineteenth-century Britain by one of the world's most respected historians.

"An evocative account . . .[Cannadine] tells his own story persuasively and exceedingly well.” —The Wall Street Journal

To live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing and unprecedented series of changes. Cities grew vast; there were revolutions in transportation, communication, science, and work—all while a growing religious skepticism rendered the intellectual landscape increasingly unrecognizable. It was an exhilarating time, and as a result, most of the countries in the world that experienced these changes were racked by political and social unrest. Britain, however, maintained a stable polity at home, and as a result it quickly found itself in a position of global leadership.

In this major new work, leading historian David Cannadine has created a bold, fascinating new interpretation of nineteenth-century Britain. Britain was a country that saw itself at the summit of the world and, by some measures, this was indeed true. It had become the largest empire in history: its political stability positioned it as the leader of the new global economy and allowed it to construct the largest navy ever built. And yet it was also a society permeated with doubt, fear, and introspection. Repeatedly, politicians and writers felt themselves to be staring into the abyss and what is seen as an era of irritating self-belief was in fact obsessed with its own fragility, whether as a great power or as a moral force. Victorious Century is a comprehensive and extraordinarily stimulating history—its author catches the relish, humor and staginess of the age, but also the dilemmas faced by Britain's citizens, ones we remain familiar with today.
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Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906
A sweeping history of nineteenth-century Britain by one of the world's most respected historians.

"An evocative account . . .[Cannadine] tells his own story persuasively and exceedingly well.” —The Wall Street Journal

To live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing and unprecedented series of changes. Cities grew vast; there were revolutions in transportation, communication, science, and work—all while a growing religious skepticism rendered the intellectual landscape increasingly unrecognizable. It was an exhilarating time, and as a result, most of the countries in the world that experienced these changes were racked by political and social unrest. Britain, however, maintained a stable polity at home, and as a result it quickly found itself in a position of global leadership.

In this major new work, leading historian David Cannadine has created a bold, fascinating new interpretation of nineteenth-century Britain. Britain was a country that saw itself at the summit of the world and, by some measures, this was indeed true. It had become the largest empire in history: its political stability positioned it as the leader of the new global economy and allowed it to construct the largest navy ever built. And yet it was also a society permeated with doubt, fear, and introspection. Repeatedly, politicians and writers felt themselves to be staring into the abyss and what is seen as an era of irritating self-belief was in fact obsessed with its own fragility, whether as a great power or as a moral force. Victorious Century is a comprehensive and extraordinarily stimulating history—its author catches the relish, humor and staginess of the age, but also the dilemmas faced by Britain's citizens, ones we remain familiar with today.
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Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906

Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906

by David Cannadine
Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906

Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906

by David Cannadine

Paperback(Reprint)

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Overview

A sweeping history of nineteenth-century Britain by one of the world's most respected historians.

"An evocative account . . .[Cannadine] tells his own story persuasively and exceedingly well.” —The Wall Street Journal

To live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing and unprecedented series of changes. Cities grew vast; there were revolutions in transportation, communication, science, and work—all while a growing religious skepticism rendered the intellectual landscape increasingly unrecognizable. It was an exhilarating time, and as a result, most of the countries in the world that experienced these changes were racked by political and social unrest. Britain, however, maintained a stable polity at home, and as a result it quickly found itself in a position of global leadership.

In this major new work, leading historian David Cannadine has created a bold, fascinating new interpretation of nineteenth-century Britain. Britain was a country that saw itself at the summit of the world and, by some measures, this was indeed true. It had become the largest empire in history: its political stability positioned it as the leader of the new global economy and allowed it to construct the largest navy ever built. And yet it was also a society permeated with doubt, fear, and introspection. Repeatedly, politicians and writers felt themselves to be staring into the abyss and what is seen as an era of irritating self-belief was in fact obsessed with its own fragility, whether as a great power or as a moral force. Victorious Century is a comprehensive and extraordinarily stimulating history—its author catches the relish, humor and staginess of the age, but also the dilemmas faced by Britain's citizens, ones we remain familiar with today.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780525557913
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date: 02/19/2019
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 640
Sales rank: 264,616
Product dimensions: 5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

David Cannadine was born in Birmingham, England, in 1950 and educated at Cambridge, Oxford, and Princeton. He is the editor and author of many acclaimed books, including The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy, which won the Lionel Trilling Prize and the Governors' Award; Aspects of AristocracyG. M. TrevelyanThe Pleasures of the Past; History in Our Time; and Class in Britain. His most recent book is Margaret Thatcher: A Life and Legacy. He has taught at Cambridge and Columbia Universities and has also served as director of the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is currently Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University.

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Prologue
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Excerpted from "Victorious Century"
by .
Copyright © 2019 David Cannadine.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xi

Maps xiv

Preface and Acknowledgements xvii

Prologue 1

1 Act of Union, 1800-02 11

2 Britannia Resurgent, 1802-15 59

3 Great Power, Great Vicissitudes, 1815-29 105

4 The Iconoclastic Years, 1829-41 150

5 The 'Hungry' Forties, 1841-48 200

6 Great Exhibition, Half Time, 1848-52 245

7 Equipoise and Angst, 1852-65 288

8 Leaping in the Dark, 1865-80 336

9 'Disintegration' Averted?, 1880-95 384

10 Jubilation and Recessional, 1895-1905 430

11 General Election, 1905-06 472

Epilogue 523

A Note on Further Reading 531

Index 537

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