Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England

By Carolly Erickson

Book Overview

The tumult and opulence of England's Regency era burst from the pages in this work of literary nonfiction by acclaimed author Carolly Erickson. When dementia forces King George III to vacate his throne, the kingdom slips into a decade marked with excess, scandal, and riots. King George has suffered bouts of mental instability before, but in 1810 he shows no signs of recovering. Public and government business halts as word of his condition leaks out. Hoping to control the crisis, Parliament appoints the king's unpopular son Prince George IV as Regent or caretaker. But for the next nine years, this substitute ruler shocks the nation with his drunkenness, his mistresses, and his wanton spending. From seething mobs in the streets to Lucullan feasts in drawing rooms, historian Carolly Erickson vividly captures the nation in a troubled transition. With narrator Simon Prebble's dramatic performance, the splendor and intrigue of Regency England are as enthralling as the most entertaining novel.

• Format: Audio CD
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1664417168
• ISBN13: 9781664417168
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Length: 1 Pages

Customer Reviews

An enjoyable history read!

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

Another excellent book by Ms. Erickson

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.

Excellent book

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.

I really like George IV

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.

The characters come alive in this wonderfully written book.

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.