Victorious Century: The United Kingdom 1800-1906 (The Penguin History of Britain)

About this book

A sweeping history of nineteenth-century Britain by one of the worlds most respected historians. "An evocative account . . .Cannadine tells his own story persuasively and exceedingly well. The Wall Street Journal To live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing and unprecedented series of changes. Cities grew vast; there were revolutions in transportation communication science and work--all while a growing religious skepticism rendered the intellectual landscape increasingly unrecognizable. It was an exhilarating time and as a result most of the countries in the world that experienced these changes were racked by political and social unrest. Britain however maintained a stable polity at home and as a result it quickly found itself in a position of global leadership. In this major new work leading historian David Cannadine has created a bold fascinating new interpretation of nineteenth-century Britain. Britain was a country that saw itself at the summit of the world and by some measures this was indeed true. It had become the largest empire in history: its political stability positioned it as the leader of the new global economy and allowed it to construct the largest navy ever built. And yet it was also a society permeated with doubt fear and introspection. Repeatedly politicians and writers felt themselves to be staring into the abyss and what is seen as an era of irritating self-belief was in fact obsessed with its own fragility whether as a great power or as a moral force. Victorious Century is a comprehensive and extraordinarily stimulating history--its author catches the relish humor and staginess of the age but also the dilemmas faced by Britains citizens ones we remain familiar with today.