{"product_id":"magnificent-obsession-9780099537465","title":"Magnificent Obsession","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Rappaport uses new sources to give a vivid account of Albert''s death . . . a valuable and insightful book which will change our view of Queen Victoria.'' \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Queen Victoria''s husband, Prince Albert, died in December 1861 the nation was paralysed with grief.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis death was a catastrophe for Victoria, who not only adored her husband but had, through twenty-one years of marriage, utterly relied on him: as companion, father of their children, friend, confidant, and unofficial private secretary. Without Albert to guide and support her, the Queen retreated into a state of pathological grief which nobody could penetrate and few understood. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing widely on contemporary letters, diaries and memoirs, Rappaport brings new light to bear on the causes of Albert''s death and tracks Victoria''s mission to commemorate her husband in perpetuity. Richly compelling, this is the story of a magnificent obsession that even death could not sever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fascinating exposition of the art of mourning \u003c\/b\u003ewhich Victoria made peculiarly her own . . . \u003ci\u003eMagnificent Obsession\u003c\/i\u003e is that rare creature; a scholarly book that wears its learning lightly and is written with clarity and insight. It is \u003cb\u003ea fascinating subject and an even better read: a model of its kind.\u003c\/b\u003e * Sunday Express *\u003cbr\u003eIn this \u003cb\u003eintriguing\u003c\/b\u003e study, Helen Rappaport sets out to tell the story of the royal anguish that followed Albert's death in December 1861 . . . she \u003cb\u003eexcels in her portrayal of a cult of mourning\u003c\/b\u003e over which the queen presided with all the imperious intensity of a high priestess. \u003cb\u003eFair-minded, thoughtful and rich in social detail.\u003c\/b\u003e * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eRappaport uses new sources to give a \u003cb\u003evivid account\u003c\/b\u003e of Albert's death . . . \u003cb\u003ea valuable and insightful book\u003c\/b\u003e which \u003cb\u003ewill change our view of Queen Victoria\u003c\/b\u003e. * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrilliant\u003c\/b\u003e . . . Helen Rappaport is especially good on the incompetence of the gang of medics who presided over Albert's illness. * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eTo mark the 150th anniversary of Albert's death, Helen Rappaport looks at the circumstances leading up to it, the ritual of his funeral and obsequies, and offers new theories on what killed him. * Majesty magazine *","brand":"Cornerstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732277899607,"sku":"9780099537465","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099537465.jpg?v=1719996241","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/magnificent-obsession-9780099537465","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}