The fascinating story of the Regency period in Britain-an immensely colourful and chaotic decade that marked the emergence of the modern world. The Regency began on 5 February 1811 when the Prince of Wales replaced his violently insane father George III as the sovereign de facto. It ended on 29 January 1820, when George III died and the Prince Regent became King as George IV. At the centre of the era is of course the Regent himself, who was vilified by the masses for his selfishness and corpulence. Around him surged a society defined by brilliant characters, momentous events, and stark contrasts; a society forced to confront a whole range of pressing new issues that signaled a decisive break from the past and that for the first time brought our modern world clearly into view. “The Regency Revolution” is the most thorough and vivid exploration of the period ever published, and it reveals the remarkably diverse ways in which the cultural, social, technological and political revolutions of this decade continue both to inspire and haunt our world.
"Superb... The Regency period lasted for less than a decade but, as Mr Morrison argues, "its many legacies are still all around us." It was also, as this book amply proves, marvellously entertaining."
The Economist
"A spirited and wide-ranging account of life in - and out of - Regency England... [Morrison] does a splendid job of exposing the grubby underbelly of Georgian life... Elegant, entertaining and frequently surprising."
New York Times
"A zippy and vivid portrait... [Morrison] portrays big characters and changes, charting the emergence of a Britain that was more "desiring, democratic, secular, opportunistic". At the same time he is fascinated by its uglier features: the bare-knuckle prizefights, the squalid rookeries where beggars and criminals consorted."
