Description
Book SynopsisThe story of the world's first fashion-obsessed society in eighteenth-century London - and the colourful tales of extravagance, vanity, intrigue, and sexual indiscretion that accompanied it
Trade ReviewThrough the variety of case studies, wide range of complementary topics, and extensive bibliography, this text offers itself as a stepping stone for further academic study, while also giving the more casual reader an entertaining and comprehensive book. * Hannah Carr, The Journal of Dress History *
Ms. Greig's work is an absorbing cultural and political history of aristocratic Georgian England. * Austenprose Blog *
Hannah Greig ... tackles the challenge posed by her title The Beau Monde, head on, wrestling with it, taking it apart, even adding a dense but deeply researched "supplementary essay" on the uses and meanings of the term. All this pays off, for her vivd and playful book tantalizes us ... Greig moves with faultless poise through the London scenes that she has so carefully and memorably anatomized * Anthony Fletcher, TLS *
The pages of Greig's work sparkle with lush descriptions of jewels, clothing and colourful pictures of elite life... Readers seeking a meticulously researched exploration of the world of the beau monde won't be disappointed. * BBC History magazine *
A fascinating study... If you remember Michael Heseltine being dismissively described by Alan Clark as a man who bought his own furniture, you will find Greig's thoughtful account of its 18th-century equivalent a great read. * The Times Higher Education Supplement *
The Beau Monde is diligently researched and the footnotes are full of matter. * Norma Clarke, Literary Review *
Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated, including merciless satirical drawings of the time, The Beau Monde is a fascinating spin round this most colourful period. * The Lady *
This book, beautifully illustrated throughout, encapsulates the quest for power and exclusivity in a changing world. * Discover Your History *
A sparkling and iconoclastic debut. Hannah Greig rescues belles and beaux from celebrity biography to restore a dynamic social universe, charting the rise of a new social leadership in the wake of the glorious revolution - forged by fashion, and remade in town every single season. * Amanda Vickery, author of Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England *
an impressively researched and wide-ranging account of the social and cultural practices of 18th-century Britain's "fashionable" aristocratic elite * M.H. Markus, CHOICE *
I suspect that it will succeed in gaining a wide readership -- deservedly so, because it manages to combine readability (Greig has a keen eye for lively quotation and telling details) with subtle and important scholarship. * Bob Harris, English Historical Review *
there is much to commend here. The wealth of manuscript material mined in the course of the book's production is impressive. Greig's use of a variety of household accounts helps to illustrate some keen observations. * Robin Eagles, History *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: the 'brilliant vortex' ; 1. The beau monde: London's little coterie ; 2. Leading the fashion: 'a most brilliant shew' ; 3. Life in the town: 'all together and all distinct' ; 4. Politics and fashionable life: 'all the chatter chitter I heard' ; 5. The court and fashionable display: 'most tastefully spangled' ; 6. Beauties: 'so pow'rful her charms' ; 7. Risk, exile and fraud: a changeable world ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index
