An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England Paperback - 2000

Summary

First line

The years of the Regency have come to be synonymous with an elegance and style which are unique in the history of English culture: but they tend to be seen through a romantic haze.

From the rear 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.