Meet the Georgians: Epic Tales from Britains Wildest Century

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The way Robert Peal describes Georgian England, youd be mad not to want to live there yourself GUARDIAN
Anne Bonny and Mary Read, pirate queens of the Caribbean
Tipu Sultan, the Indian ruler who kept the British at bay
Olaudah Equiano, the former slave whose story shocked the world
Mary Wollstonecraft, the feminist who fought for womens rights
Ladies of Llangollen, the lovers who built paradise in a Welsh valley

Mad, bad and dangerous to know is how Lord Byron, the poet who drank wine from a monks skull and slept with his half-sister, was described by one of his many lovers. But mad, bad and dangerous serves as a good description for the entire Georgian period: often neglected, the hundred or so years between the coronation of George I in 1714 and the death of George IV in 1830 were years when the modern world was formed, and changes came thick and fast.

Across this century, new foods pineapples, coffee and pepper suddenly became available in the shops. Fashion exploded into a riot of colour, frilly shirts and wigs. Gin was drunk like it was water. Demands for womens rights were heard, and it became possible to question the existence of God without fear of prompt execution.

These exciting new developments came, of course, from the expanding British Empire. Britains wealth and its sudden access to chocolate, chillies and spices, was entirely bound up with the conquest of overseas territories and the miserable suffering of enslaved workers.

This is the backdrop to Robert Peals new book, which introduces the Georgian era through the diverse lives of twelve magnificent if not moral people who defined it.

Reviews

The way Robert Peal describes Georgian England, youd be mad not to want to live there yourself He does make us think about the extraordinary breadth of experience on show in a period that tends to get written off in popular history Peal has a sharp awareness of the best scholarly work on the subject and where to find it An excellent entry point
KATHRYN HUGHES, GUARDIAN

[A] lively portrait of 12 notable Georgians This book will keep you awake. Steering clear of pompous, soporific vocabulary There are some good life stories here, gutsily told
DAILY MAIL

Peal brings the era to vivid, outrageous life, writing chattily, with a scattering of slang that wouldnt have made the Georgians turn a hair
CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL

This is a form of history book that I very, very much enjoy A really good, fun, interesting read. Its very accessible. Its very irreverent and witty, laughing at the madness of the Georgian period I would definitely recommend it
BOOKS AND THINGS

I wish Robert Peal had been around when I did A-level history I feel that Peal would have inspired me to achievegrade A stardom. The sheer energy and enthusiasm he brings to his subject is thrilling Meet the Georgians uncovered in a wild and witty romp through the long 18th century
JANE AUSTENS REGENCY WORLD

Really interesting I learnt some interesting facts I didn't already know, and enjoyed the way the author told the stories of their lives. I would recommend, and hope the author considers writing more like this, but set in other eras also
NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5/5 STARS

A most enjoyable, witty and let's not forget educational read! I think this book can be a great way to attract teens to history. But it is definitely not only a read for teens I would love to see this made into a series(patiently waiting for 'Meet the Victorians' to be made a reality)
NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 4/5 STARS

Author Bio

Rob Peal is a history teacher and Joint Headteacher at the West London Free School, an all-ability secondary school in Hammersmith. He is also the author of Knowing History, a series of Key Stage 3 textbooks published by Collins.