Marriage&morals Victrn

In this collection of essays on Victorian (or at least 19th-century) thinkers, as well as on modern conservative thinker Michael Oakeshott, Gertrude Himmelfarb demonstrates that she is one of the best intellectual historians now writing. Every one of these essays exhibits depth of research, high (and high-minded) criticism of figures who, like Bentham and the Webbs, may have sunk to obscurity themselves, but whose ideas linger on. She is by no means a fan of most of those she writes about, but she's not unfair. Indeed, I've long thought Bentham deserved the drubbing she gives him. Admittedly, she in some cases crosses the line into ad hominem, but it's so obvious that it's not pernicious. She clearly distinguishes fact, argument, and personal opinion. I must say that I don't especially like her politics, but she is one hell of a scholar and possessed of a rich prose. One of the best books I've read this year.

This eclectic collection of essays covers Victorian sexual morality, their approach to religion, social Darwinism, utopianism, and politics. The essays are short (none longer than 33 pages), easy to read, and reflect a fantastic depth of understanding. I recommend this book without reservation.