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An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England Paperback – March 1, 2000

by Venetia Murray (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
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The Regency period was one of the most turbulent ages in British history, one that spanned the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, that witnessed unprecedented industrial progress, artistic accomplishment, and violent social unrest and--paradoxically--the most sparkling social scene English high society has ever enjoyed. Under the influence of the obese, loose-moraled Prince of Wales (to whom Jane Austen dedicated Emma), the Regency was the apex of British decadence, an era of lavish parties and relentless bed-hopping that set a standard for elegance and vulgarity. With wit and lively style, Venetia Murray chronicles the scandals, courtships, and daily life of these aristocrats, and evokes the tempestuous times of the early industrial and French revolutions. Sumptuously illustrated with rare contemporary cartoons, prints, diaries, and caricatures, An Elegant Madness is a book readers of social history and historical romance alike will devour.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.8 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140282963
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140282962
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

THE REGENCY was one of the most romantic and turbulent ages in British history. Spanning the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, it was an era that witnessed unprecedented industrial progress, artistic accomplishment, violent social unrest, and -- paradoxically -- the most sparkling social scene English high society has ever enjoyed. Under the influence of the excessively fat, loose-moraled Prince of Wales (to whom Jane Austen dedicated Emma), the Regency became the very apex of British decadence. It was a time of lavish parties, ferocious gossip, relentless bed-hopping, and notorious gambling that set a standard for elegance and vulgarity. Venetia Murray uses original material from the archives at Windsor including dozens of contemporary accounts, diaries, letters, memoirs, and menus, as well as rare cartoons and prints, to evoke the period in vivid, delicious detail. At the same time she provides a subtle, smart analysis of the political and economic undercurrents of the social whirl. With many frothy pleasures and unexpected bite, An Elegant Madness is a book that readers will want to devour.

About the Author

Venetia Murray worked as a journalist, writing for many major periodicals and newspapers, and published three novels before concentrating on social history. Her previous works of non-fiction include Echoes of the East End and Castle Howard: The Life and Times of a Stately Home, a three hundred year history of the castle that was the setting for Brideshead Revisited. She lives in Wiltshire, England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; Third Printing edition (March 1, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140282963
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140282962
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.8 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

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Venetia Murray

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4.5 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and informative, with one mentioning it's a must-read for Jane Austen lovers. The book provides an overview of the Regency period, and customers appreciate its knowledge level, with one noting it helps fill in knowledge gaps.

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9 customers mention "Enjoyment"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and interesting, with one mentioning it's a must-read for Jane Austen fans.

"Interesting and fun. Learned some old vocabulary. The book was divided into chapters by topic...." Read more

"...An engaging read by a really good writer." Read more

"...Admist the many amusing anecdotes, the author tries to cover all aspects of daily living in England at the time...." Read more

"...I love some of the famous personalities, as well as favorite pastimes. A knowledge of the period is helpful in fully understanding all the info...." Read more

7 customers mention "Knowledge level"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's knowledge level, with one customer noting it helps fill in gaps in their understanding of Regency England.

"Interesting and fun. Learned some old vocabulary. The book was divided into chapters by topic...." Read more

"...It is the single best book on the subject, witty, well written and delightfully illustrated...." Read more

"...-- or even if you know a great deal -- this book will help fill in any gaps in your knowledge. An engaging read by a really good writer." Read more

"...The research supposedly comes from original sources, including newspaper columns about the foibles and follies of the haute ton...." Read more

3 customers mention "Timeline"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate how the book provides an overview of the Regency period.

"...The point is, I loved the book. It gave me the best overview of that brief period, a time best compared to the "roaring 20's" or the 1960's in..." Read more

"...likes to work from an outline, I guess, but a CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINE is definitely a helpful tool!..." Read more

"For Anyone Who Loves the Regency Period..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • funner things
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and fun but not a treatise. Best read in a hammock or comfortable chair.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting and fun. Learned some old vocabulary. The book was divided into chapters by topic. This not not an academic book or fine literature, but a book that describes how society and culture changed fron the early to late 19th century. Moreover, it looks at the period between Jane and Victoria that isn't well covered.
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  • Priamsdaughter
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, a must read for Jane Austen lovers
    Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    If you have even the slightest interest in Regency England but can only afford one book on the subject let this be that one. It is the single best book on the subject, witty, well written and delightfully illustrated. I have read it three times and it has truly illumined Jane Austen's world.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Denisa E. Dellinger
    5.0 out of 5 stars What's up with the "Hoity Toity" of the Regency period?
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is the history of the upper crust of British Society of the Regency period. The "Ton" as it was called. It describes, the dress, the people, including the prince regent. The most memorable parts are the descriptions of the food and the food parties as well as how the "dandies" kept everything up to scratch and on trend.
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  • gilly8
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable little book about a forgotten age
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    The first few reviews here, especially the leading review by the "Austinite" member...well what can I say? If you identify yourself publically with that era of course you're going to be fixated on the minutae of it. The point is, I loved the book. It gave me the best overview of that brief period, a time best compared to the "roaring 20's" or the 1960's in being a really unique time when anything went, and all the old mores of society were out the window. Just as in the 1920's, when post WWI women cut their short for first time, in Regency England young men and women, in the upheaval post-French Revolution, did away with hair powder and the heavy weighted velvets and laces, jewels, face paint, beauty spots, and wigs of the past few hundred years, and wore lighter more body defining clothes. Young women, and in particular those of the cutting edge set, would wear clinging materials,with no or little underclothing and in warm summer weather wet the dress down to be, essentially, see-through. Visualize this, versus the heavy clothes of, say, Marie Antoinette (no, not an English woman, but an arbiter of fashion, from just the generation before). The young women often had their hair cut shorter and curled. Young men for the first time went to shorter hair than had been seen previously as well.

    The influence of Beau Brummell, a fascinating person, very influential on society and fashion, could take up whole books. His main decree on the subject of male fashion was, first, CLEANLINESS: of the person, the clothing, then simplicity but always clean and neat. This was a radical new thought. He influenced the entire society, and the "cravat" which became de rigeur then morphed into the male "tie" of today.

    In short, the book gives you an overview of the period. It is NOT about crime, disease, (not really about the lower classes at all) economics or politics. It covers a certain "something" that made that generation special.

    Jane Austin, a clergyman's daughter, living in the country, and poor, was part of the era but not really of it.

    Look at some of the line drawings (from the era itself) in the book. The young men and women having dancing "practice parties" in homes in the daytime, to learn that sexy dance, the waltz....see how short many of the young women's dresses are. It was a state of mind, of freedom and youth.

    Another generation, starting in about 1820, when Queen Victoria came to the Throne, the rigid morality, hypocrasy, and puritanism we associate with her name overcame all that the Regency period had been. Women's dresses were, again, long and heavy and hid their lower limbs. Their hair was worn long, and usually up on the head after marriage. Men wore facial hair, heavy dark clothing, and the sense of freedom that had blown through all of Europe and England with the French Revolution was ended.

    I recommend this book to anyone interested in small parts of history that crop up every so often; usually battered down later, but influential for all that, as well as for anyone who has ever picked up a "Regency Romance" of any kind; or is simply interested in a unique time period made quite real for the reader in this book.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • S. Herlihy
    5.0 out of 5 stars For Anyone Who Loves the Regency Period
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    If you know nothing about this period -- or even if you know a great deal -- this book will help fill in any gaps in your knowledge. An engaging read by a really good writer.
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  • mirope
    3.0 out of 5 stars Gossipy account of high society in the Regency era.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2001
    Verified Purchase
    Serious historians won't find much to peak their interest in this gossip-ladden review of the Regency period, but lay readers will find it an interesting and entertaining read. The research supposedly comes from original sources, including newspaper columns about the foibles and follies of the haute ton. Admist the many amusing anecdotes, the author tries to cover all aspects of daily living in England at the time. Unfortunately, the structure of the book is such that there is a lot of repetition and I had trouble keeping track of (and interested in) the various many members of society that kept reappearing. An amusing read, but not a definitive look at the era.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Chris Christensen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Treasure Trove of Regency Info
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great book for those looking to immerse themselves into the period. It covers everything from fashionable dress, to the daily ride in Hyde Park. I love some of the famous personalities, as well as favorite pastimes. A knowledge of the period is helpful in fully understanding all the info. I recommend reading a couple Georgette Heyer Regency novels before reading this.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Stephanie Nesbitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is the most entertaining way to learn about Regency England!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Laurel Freemont
    5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome addition
    Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A very interesting reference book with many unexpected snippets of information. The illustrations are of added interest, too.
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