Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management: The 1861 Classic with Advice on Cooking, Cleaning, Childrearing, Entertaining, and More

By Isabella Beeton

Book Overview

Originally published as 24 newspaper columns from 1859 to 1861, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management was at first a guide to managing a household. Today it is a fascinating look at the past and a guide to forgotten skills that can be used today. Beeton wrote, "As with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise, so is it with the mistress of a house." Running an extravagant household was a monumental task and a responsibility not to be taken lightly. It meant supervising every employee, from the butler to the laundry-maid to the footman and the wet nurse. It meant managing the safety, happiness, comfort, and well-being of the family. Chapters include: The Housekeeper Arrangement and Economy of the Kitchen Introduction to Cooker General Directions for Making Soup Recipes: Fish Recipes: Pork and Ham Recipes: Poultry and Rabbit And much more In addition to offering advice on a wide range of domestic topics, this abridged edition of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management contains hundreds of original recipes. A compendium of practical information about everything from animal husbandry to child care, this Victorian classic is both fascinating and still useful. Sarah A. Chrisman, author of Victorian Secrets and This Victorian Life provides the foreword, reflecting on how she uses Mrs. Beeton's advice on a daily basis.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1510760253
• ISBN13: 9781510760257
• Release Date: November 2020
• Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Simple life? I think not!

This book is written in such a way that you are drawn into the past and standing alongside the mistress of the house...planning your day and making sure the "household help" do their jobs well. It certainly reminds us of the benfits we have currently - with washing machines, dishwashers, automobiles, pre-packaged food and yes,fast food, yet still don't have enough time to do all the things we need/want to do. How would you like to dress your own cow or help make every article of clothing you wear (even though the "hired help" did most of it)? A brief introduction to the book instills in the reader a sense of where Mrs. Beeton arrived at her thoughts for "proper household management." She seems to have been frustrated by societal changes she was witnessing and wanted her "good ol' days" to return. It is a book I highly recommend not only for the history, but for the entertainment value. I could not put it down once I started.

Every home should have one!

The complete guide to pretty much everything involved in running a household in the early half of the 20th century, and many of the instructions in this book still hold true today. Whether you want to know the correct way of writing to the Queen, or just want to know how to make a nice dessert it's all covered here. No home should be without this!

great for the domestic victorian re-enacter

Inside you will not only find all kinds of information on cooking and the products used but loads of drawings of kitchen gadgets and food dishes, information on how a victorian kept a household and the servants within, cared for the sick, maintained a degree of ettiquette as well as planned the type of meals held throughout the year for family and guests. This is certainly a wonderful read and the recipies are easy to follow.