Customer Reviews

Georgiana Duchess Of Devonshire

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I am writing a book about my wife's family history and the Duchess and her lover Earl Grey have to be included.
Earl Grey was related to my wife's great great grandfathers brother through marraige so I really enjoyed the book which arrived in great shape and quickly considering it was sent from the UK. It is well written and for me includes valuble information.A big thank you to the seller.

Amanda Foreman brings extensive research and detailed period knowledge to "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire," but does not let her research or knowledge interfere with her compelling story-telling ability. With admirable aplomb, she details upper-class British existence in the second half of the 18th Century, giving social context to the intrigues, political alliances, patronage, extramarital dalliances, and daily routines that comprised Georgiana's life.

Unfortunately, for modern readers, Georgiana might prove to be a distasteful character. Unfaithful to her husband (who was equally unfaithful to her), she was willing to allow his mistress easy access, even encouragement, to him. At the same time, to avoid confrontation, she was willing to pretend illness for days at a time. A friend of Marie Antoinette, Georgiana shared her fear of, and dependence on a strong mother. An able canvasser for her husband and other politicians, she had the intelligence and instinct to have served in public office better than they.

Georgiana's addiction to the gaming tables and constantly increasing debt to everyone from her friends and gambling partners to professional loan sharks are a prevalent, and unpleasant theme throughout her adult life and most of this book. Were she living in 20th Century America, one could imagine her checking joining a self-help group, or perhaps checking into rehab. After chapters of this addiction, which as Ms. Foreman clearly illustrates was common in Georgiana's class and period, the reader might be forgiven for wanting to take Georgiana by the shoulder's and attempt to shake some sense into her. The sense of impending doom becomes, at times, an impediment to enjoying Ms. Foreman's well-crafted book.

That discomfort is, however, not nearly as much a criticism of Ms. Foreman as it is a compliment to her ability to help the reader empathize with her subject.

As an added bonus, there is a centersection of color pictures, some of which depict the luxury in which Georgiana lived.

A fascinating history of a complex woman living in extraordinary times.

Excellent book. I had recently seen the DVD of "The Duchess" with Kiera Knightly and Ralph Fienes. In the "extra" stuff there was an interview with the author of the book. Which made me want to read the book. It was very worthwhile. The movie reflected her actual life.

This is much richer fare than the film adaptation of the book, which I saw before reading the book. The author does a remarkable job of creating a woman of flesh and blood out of all the documents and correspondence that she had to sift through and read in order to compile this eminently readable biography of a prominent and influential eighteenth century woman. It was like looking into another time and place.

The author paints a vivid three dimensional portrait of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, with all her positive attributes and foibles laid bare for the reader. The book also richly details the social mores of the eighteenth century, as well as the lifestyle of the rich and famous of that era. Georgiana's place as a leader of that stratum of society is clearly delineated within the pages of the book and makes for fascinating reading. She comes to life on the pages of this book.

Since Georgiana became a political animal and involved herself in Whig politics, the politics of the times holds a prominent place in the book. This, unfortunately, is the Achilles heel in the book, as too much time is spent on the politics of the day and some of it is dry stuff, indeed. Still, the book is filled with so many interesting anecdotes of some of the most important personages of the time, whose lives intertwined with that of Georgiana's, that the reader will stay the course and come away with a feeling of having met one of the most interesting of women of the time.

Foreman's biography provides a fascinating view of England in the late 1700s/early 1800s and the country's aristocracy and politics. I kept reflecting throughout the book that it was why America won its independence from Britain. America had statesmen like Adams, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, etc. England had "statesmen" like the duchess of devonshire & her husband, and the rest of the aristocracy. I couldn't find anything in Georgiana to admire. Her trials & tragedies were completely self-inflicted. She & the rest of the aristocracy led pointless existences. They partied, gambled, spent shocking sums of money on nonsensical things, had affairs, bore illegimate children, were in debt because of all the former. Foreman tried to paint Georgiana as politically relevant, but I never was able to buy it. She was continually in debt. When given opportunities to have her debts repaid, she lied about their amounts and thus never have them completely paid off. What a self-destructive individual.

18th Century is not my favorite period in the history... Georgiana is not the type of person whom I respect and admire... Still, the book, the way it was written, its style, they all kept me reading it until the end with an unprecedented zeal...

This is a great history book, this is one of the very rare objective biographies, this is a must for all history lovers...

I just loved this book. I learned a lot about the time, and about an amazing women. I found the book to be heart-wrenching and sad. I love and hate Georginia. She is the most dynamic person I've read about in a long time. I only wish I could have known her.

Amanda Foreman who received the prestigious Whitbread Prize for Biography for this book, makes reading history as painless as eating a dish of raspberry ice cream. That is not to say the book lacks scholarship and research, but Ms. Foreman presents her material in such a witty, well-written way; the reader is beguiled.

Georgianna was most of all, a very lovable woman. She was beautiful, stylish, lively, witty and unfailingly kind. She was a natural politician and was passionately involved her entire life. Her charisma, cleverness and organization in the political arena bring to mind FDR, JFK and Britain's present Prime Minister Tony Blair. She used all of her advantages of great wealth and high birth to maximum advantage.

Georgianna's never-curbed mania for gambling caused her a lifetime of anxiety and misery. At one time, in today's dollars, she was $6 million in debt! She was never free of demanding creditors, and was ever fearful of confessing her great indebtedness to the Duke whom she dreaded would divorce her if he knew the extent of her losses. She was too loyal in her friendships and distinctly untidy in her love life.

I noted one reviewer, in comparing Georgianna with her great (four times) niece, Diana, reported the Duchess never knew the joys of motherhood. This is incorrect. Her two daughters and son adored her. At the time of Georgianna's death, her eldest daughter wrote: "Oh my beloved, my adored departed mother, are you indeed forever parted from me? Shall I see no more that angelic countenance or hear that blessed voice? You whom I loved with such tenderness, you who were the best of mothers? Adieu---I wanted to strew violets over her dying bed as she strewed sweets over my life, but they would not let me." What parent could want a more loving tribute?

"Georgianna, Duchess of Devonshire" is a compelling biography, not only of the subject, but life and times in Georgian England. Highly recommended.

Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, is one of the legendary personalities of 18th century English high society. Her name often comes up as a passing reference in English history of this period, but most books don't go beyond the fact that she lived in an unusual menage de trois with her husband and Lady Elizabeth Foster later in her life.

This is the true story of a woman of great gifts, who through folly in her youth spent the rest of her life paying the price for it. It is a story of excess and living life to the hilt, an unhappy marriage and love in unusual places. Real life really is stranger than fiction.

This book is well written and detailed and successfuly brings Georgiana, her family and friends to life. However, if you read this book be prepared for large doeses of English politics as this was one of the passions of her life and without following the politics of the period many of her actions would not make sense.

An illuminating and worthwhile book, with lessons for us all on the consequences of obsession.

If you already know how the story ends, it's difficult to watch her throwing all her gifts away. Beautiful, charming, intelligent, rich, well-connected: she should have been happy in spite of that stick of a husband. Otherwise, it's a wonderful biography. "Prince of Pleasure", Saul David's biography of Georgiana's great friend the Prince of Wales, is a good companion piece to this. Between the two, you get a vivid picture of life among the bon ton during this period. (And you don't have to feel anything like as sorry for Prinny as for Georgiana.)