HISTORY

Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers: Her Life, the Imperial Ideal, and the Politics and Turmoil That Shaped Her Extraordinary Reign

by Anne Somerset
Knopf. Nov. 2024. 640p. ISBN 9781101875575. $45. BIOG
COPY ISBN
Somerset, a historian whose previous books included biographies of Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Anne, turns her attention to Queen Victoria and the 10 prime ministers during her reign, starting with her accession to the throne in 1837 and ending with her death in 1901. Somerset writes that Victoria’s reign illustrated a high-water mark of British governance and politics and dives into the queen’s beliefs and relationships with each of the PMs. Her intriguing study offers a unique look at the ruling of an empire through biographical portraits that are extensively researched, relying upon the Royal Archives and what are described as never-before-seen prime ministerial papers. Endnotes, illustrations, and a bibliography round out the volume.
VERDICT Highly recommended to readers of British history and particularly those interested in the political life of Britain during Victoria’s reign.
Reviewed by Lucy Heckman , Nov 08, 2024
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

MEDIA

Hitler’s People: The Faces of the Third Reich
by Evans, Richard J.
NONFICTION

Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War
by Roper, Lyndal
NONFICTION

Apostle of Liberation: AME Bishop Paul Quinn and the Underground Railroad
by LaRoche, Cheryl Janifer
NONFICTION

The Paris Girl: The Young Woman Who Outwitted the Nazis and Became a WWII Hero
by White, Francelle Bradford
NONFICTION

Crucibles of Power: Smolensk Under Stalinist and Nazi Rule
by David-Fox, Michael
NONFICTION

The Shortest History of Migration: When, Why, and How Humans Move—From the Prehistoric Peopling of the Planet to Today and Tomorrow’s Migrants
by Goldin, Ian
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?