Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire - Paperback

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Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
  • Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire - Paperback

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire - Paperback

by Julia Baird
$24.00
$24.00

Book Overview

The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen--a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning portrait is a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
THE NEW YORK TIMES - ESQUIRE - THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

"Victoria the Queen, Julia Baird's exquisitely wrought and meticulously researched biography, brushes the dusty myth off this extraordinary monarch."--The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)

When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would threaten many of Europe's monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public's expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In a world where women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand.

Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother's meddling and an adviser's bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping conventional boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security--queen of a quarter of the world's population at the height of the British Empire's reach.

Drawing on sources that include fresh revelations about Victoria's relationship with John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning.
ISBN9780812982282
Author Julia Baird
PublisherRandom House Trade
GenreBiography and History
FormatPaperback
PublishedOctober 2017
LanguageENG- English
Pages768
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography History Nonfiction

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More by Julia Baird

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire - Paperback

Victoria: The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire - Paperback

By Julia Baird

About Julia Baird

Julia Baird is a bestselling author and award-winning journalist. She hosts The Drum on ABCTV in Australia and writes columns for The New York Times and The Sydney Morning Herald. After moving to the United States to take up a fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, she became a columnist and senior editor at Newsweek. Julia's biography of Queen Victoria was published in several countries to critical acclaim and was one of The New York Times's top ten books of the year. She lives near the sea with her two children and a large dog.

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