Our Tempestuous Day: History of Regency England

I enjoyed reading this book about Regency England. It gave a good account of the reign of George IV, but read like novel!!

I don't qualify as any part of an expert historian, but I do read a bit of it. I have read other of Erickson's side by side (as it were) with other authors works covering the same era. Erickson, as best as I can tell, is solid. That said, her prose, while more than adequate, is not as riveting as Doris Kearns Goodwin; hardly a huge complaint. This book was, for me, fascinating. First, all the nonsense about George III that I was taught in grade school was set straight. Americans are fed as much propaganda as the Soviets ever were. (That comment is not based on this book alone; just bolstered by it.)Second, I had a good bit of the politics filled in which made a bit more sense of my college 18th Century Literature class from ever so many years ago. Finally, the author takes us into the ninteenth century including a good bit of background on Lord Byron. Erickson leads us through the swing from what might be called libertine-ism into the religious mania that resulted in the Victorian (double) standards of behavior. Very good stuff.

This is as well researched as can be and as well written as non-fiction must be. Some things are not a hundred percent accurate but rather minor. If you are interested in the period this is a must.

My reading life has acquired a second act. Commuting to work, I enjoy audiobooks from the public library. But you have to settle for what's available. This was among my recent favorites, and has led me to seek out three other books by Erickson (who is not a nincompoop). Tastes of the period are dramatically conveyed by the reader, Simon Prebble. The spectrum of prevalent mores represented ranges from the evangelical Hannah Moore to the depraved Lord Byron. The war with France takes an unexpected turn for the better thanks to the hero Wellington. And the miserables of the period are remembered: ... chimney sweeps, Luddites, victims of the the Corn Law, and of Peterloo. But most compelling is the Prince-regent, who will become George the Fourth. A man whose personal short-comings were not redeemed by his deep appreciation of art and beauty.

Tempestuous indeed! I could not put this book down. This is a very readable historical narrative set in England during the Regency Period from 1810 to 1820. Erickson paints a very vivid picture of the chaotic times in which George IV ruled as Regent while his father King George III declined into madness at Windsor, alongside the already troublesome war with Napoleon, social unrest, and economic uncertainty.