Best of
Victorian

2006

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #4)


Arthur Conan Doyle - 2006
    A man like Sherlock Holmes has many enemies. Violent murderers, deviant villains, ghosts of old loves, blackmailers and poisonous scribes, to to name but a few. But none are so deadly, so powerful, as Professor Moriarty. Moriarty - the only man who can compete with Holmes' genius. The only man who can, perhaps, ultimately defeat the great detective ...

Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen


David Stuart Davies - 2006
    Every Sherlock Holmes film and TV series is covered (including foreign and lesser known productions), from the silent movies, through the portrayals of Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing, to the Jeremy Brett television series and beyond. Illustrated with stills, posters, lobby cards and behind-the-scenes shots, including much rare, previously unpublished material, and also covering the stage and radio works, Holmes’ world and Conan Doyle himself, this is simply a must for any fan!

Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England


Sharon Marcus - 2006
    They pored over magazines that described the dangerous pleasures of corporal punishment. A few had sexual relationships with each other, exchanged rings and vows, willed each other property, and lived together in long-term partnerships described as marriages. But, as Sharon Marcus shows, these women were not seen as gender outlaws. Their desires were fanned by consumer culture, and their friendships and unions were accepted and even encouraged by family, society, and church. Far from being sexless angels defined only by male desires, Victorian women openly enjoyed looking at and even dominating other women. Their friendships helped realize the ideal of companionate love between men and women celebrated by novels, and their unions influenced politicians and social thinkers to reform marriage law.Through a close examination of literature, memoirs, letters, domestic magazines, and political debates, Marcus reveals how relationships between women were a crucial component of femininity. Deeply researched, powerfully argued, and filled with original readings of familiar and surprising sources, Between Women overturns everything we thought we knew about Victorian women and the history of marriage and family life. It offers a new paradigm for theorizing gender and sexuality--not just in the Victorian period, but in our own.

Silent in the Grave


Deanna Raybourn - 2006
    Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests. Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth. Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

The Malvern Murders


Kerry Tombs - 2006
     Before Jack the Ripper terrorized London, Police Inspector Samuel Ravenscroft patrolled the grimy streets of Whitechapel – but he’s no Inspector Abberline. Malvern, 1887. Clever and hard-working, Ravenscroft nonetheless has the worst record in the force. He lets a murderer escape during a chase and is banished to the spa town of Malvern for a water treatment to cure his asthma. MURDER FOLLOWS THE INSPECTOR Ravenscroft accepts a dinner invitation from a new acquaintance, Jabez Pitzer. Before the dinner gong can sound, the maid finds Pitzer slumped over his desk – dead. Ravenscroft sees two glasses on a small side table. One has a powdery residue at the bottom and the faint smell of bitter almonds. A BODY IN THE LIBRARY Ravenscroft immediately recognizes the signs – Pitzer has been poisoned. But the local authorities are reluctant to believe there is a murderer in Malvern. He may be recovering his strength, but Ravenscroft has all his wits intact. He finds himself pulled into the investigation. Hungry to prove himself, Ravenscroft is determined to solve the case. But the bodies mount up. Someone is killing local luminaries. WHO WILL BE NEXT? A mysterious woman in black was witnessed speaking to each of the victims. Who is she and why does death seem to follow her? And does a local cartel of businessmen have anything to do with it? RAVENSCROFT IS OUT OF THE SMOKE BUT MALVERN HAS ITS OWN DEADLY FIRES THE MALVERN MURDERS is packed with delicious dialogue, sly humour and Victorian atmosphere.

Hidden in the Heart


Beth Andrews - 2006
    High-spirited Lydia expects a very dull visit, but her sojourn to the village of Diddlington is not as idyllic as she anticipates . . .A charred and bludgeoned corpse is found in the woods, and suspicion falls on Lydia’s aunt’s suitor, an intriguing Frenchman. Convinced of his innocence, Lydia enlists the help of her new friend, John Savidge, to catch the real killer. But before their dangerous adventure ends there will be more than one unexpected discovery.

The Ideas in Things: Fugitive Meaning in the Victorian Novel


Elaine Freedgood - 2006
    The Ideas in Things explores apparently inconsequential objects in popular Victorian texts to make contact with their fugitive meanings. Developing an innovative approach to analyzing nineteenth-century fiction, Elaine Freedgood here reconnects the things readers unwittingly ignore to the stories they tell. Building her case around objects from three well-known Victorian novels—the mahogany furniture in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the calico curtains in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Mary Barton, and “Negro head” tobacco in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations—Freedgood argues that these things are connected to histories that the novels barely acknowledge, generating darker meanings outside the novels’ symbolic systems. A valuable contribution to the new field of object studies in the humanities, The Ideas in Things pushes readers’ thinking about things beyond established concepts of commodity and fetish.

Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing, & Customs


Mary Brett - 2006
    The widespread influence of England's Queen Victoria perpetuated displays of grieving as she, her court, and loyal subjects remained in a state of mourning for over forty years. Over 300 color photographs display jewelry, photography and painted portraits, children's, men's, and women's clothes; poems, letters of sympathy, armbands, procession badges, hair receivers, announcements, and horse-drawn vehicles that were specifically associated with death customs. Symbolism in written phrases, flowers, and objects is presented and many examples are shown. Over 70 pages of a Victorian hair jewelry catalog are included, showing hundreds of designs that could be ordered as keepsakes, often using your own hair. Today's collectors of friendship and mourning memorabilia can expect to see antique items that not only speak of comfort and solace in times of need but continue to appreciate in value.

The Busiest Man in England: The Life of Joseph Paxton, Gardener, Architect, and Victorian Visionary


Kate Colquhoun - 2006
    His name was Joseph Paxton (1803--1865), and he bestrode the worlds of horticulture, urban planning, and architecture like a colossus. This was the self-taught polymath who had a solution to every large-scale logistical problem, the genius whom an impossibly overworked Charles Dickens dubbed "The Busiest Man in England."Rising quickly from humble beginnings, Paxton, at age 23, became head gardener and architect at Chatsworth, the estate of the sixth Duke of Devonshire. Under Paxton's direction, Chatsworth was transformed into the greatest garden in England, a paradise of magnificent greenhouses, gravity-defying fountains, and innovative waterworks. Queen Victoria herself came to marvel; here was Britain's answer to the hanging gardens of Babylon.But it was the Crystal Palace, home of the Great Exhibition of 1851, that secured Paxton's fame. Two thousand men worked for eight months to complete this unprecedented temporary structure of iron and glass. It was six times the size of St. Paul's Cathedral, and entertained six million visitors. In the wake of its spectacular success, Paxton was in constant demand to design public buildings and propose ways to ease congestion in London, then the world's most populous city.An artist among researchers, Kate Colquhoun handles her complex subject as if she were born to biography. She tells the compelling story of a man who embodied the Victorian ideals of self-improvement, industry, and civic service, and paints a touching portrait of a remarkably down-to-earth visionary.

A Dictionary of Victorian London: An A-Z of the Great Metropolis


Lee Jackson - 2006
    Compiling authentic nineteenth-century voices from a multitude of sources, including advertisements, diaries, court cases, journalism and guidebooks, Lee Jackson paints a unique picture of life in a vibrant and diverse city in an alphabetical guide that ranges from A for Advertising Vans ("devoted to the promulgation of the merits of Holloway's ointment in curing diseased legs") to Z for Zazel (the world's first human cannonball). With striking contemporary illustrations throughout, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the remarkable history of London and the enthralling lives of the Victorians.

The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli


Richard Aldous - 2006
    Their intense mutual hatred was both ideologically driven and deeply personal. Their vitriolic duels, carried out over decades, lend profound insight into the social and political currents that dominated Victorian England. To Disraeli—a legendary dandy descended from Sephardic Jews—his antagonist was an "unprincipled maniac" characterized by an "extraordinary mixture of envy, vindictiveness, hypocrisy, and superstition." For the conservative aristocrat Gladstone, his rival was "the Grand Corrupter," whose destruction he plotted "day and night, week by week, month by month." In the tradition of Roy Jenkins and A. N. Wilson, Richard Aldous has written an outstanding political biography, giving us the first dual portrait of this intense and momentous rivalry. Aldous's vivid narrative style—by turns powerful, witty, and stirring—brings new life to the Gladstone and Disraeli story and confirms a perennial truth: in politics, everything is personal.

Victorian Honeymoons: Journeys to the Conjugal


Helena Michie - 2006
    Although the term 'honeymoon' was coined in the eighteenth century, the ritual increased in popularity throughout the Victorian period, until by the end of the century it became a familiar accompaniment to the wedding for all but the poorest classes. Using letters and diaries of 61 real-life honeymooning couples, as well as novels from Frankenstein to Middlemarch that feature honeymoon scenarios, Michie explores the cultural meanings of the honeymoon, arguing that, with its emphasis on privacy and displacement, the honeymoon was central to emerging ideals of conjugality and to ideas of the couple as a primary social unit.

John Keats: Selected Poems


John Keats - 2006
    Consumption claimed him in 1821, at the age of just 25, but he left a body of work which would have been remarkable for a man three times his age, and which, in its staggering maturity, drew on the breadth of human emotion.Simon Brett is one of the leading wood-engravers of the past half-century. He has illustrated several Folio books, including Jane Eyre and Legends of the Grail. In this edition, which is adapted from the 2001 ‘Folio Poets’ volume, his engravings are an enchanting accompaniment to Keats’s verse.

Charles Darwin and Victorian Visual Culture


Jonathan Smith - 2006
    In this 2006 book, Jonathan Smith explains how Darwin managed to illustrate the unillustratable - his theories of natural selection - by manipulating and modifying the visual conventions of natural history, using images to support the claims made in his texts. Moreover, Smith looks outward to analyse the relationships between Darwin's illustrations and Victorian visual culture, especially the late-Victorian debates about aesthetics, and shows how Darwin's evolutionary explanation of beauty, based on his observations of colour and the visual in nature, were a direct challenge to the aesthetics of John Ruskin. The many illustrations reproduced here enhance this fascinating study of a little known aspect of Darwin's lasting influence on literature, art and culture.

The Little Big Book of Dogs


Alice Wong - 2006
    With the turn of each page, readers will delve further into the wonderful world of their canine companion, and learn how to better understand, train, and pamper their canine friends with fun activities and treats, while short stories, essays, and poetry from the brightest of dog-loving minds share the sometimes consuming joys and awe of loving a dog, be it a Labradoodle, Weimaraner, or Beagle. This delightful book includes: Stories & Essays: Remarkable insight and wit about beloved dogs from favorite writers including James Thurber, Alice Walker, John Muir, E.B. White, Don Marquis, John Steinbeck, and T.H. White. Fiction or non-fiction, each selection is as engaging as its subject. Living with Dogs: Basic information is provided from an arrival day checklist and how to puppy-proof your home, to grooming and how to learn "dogspeak."Poetry: There are so many ways to honor our best dog friends. In these pages, odes are present from greats such as Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Pablo Neruda, Ogden Nash, and Billy Collins. Dogs of Distinction: The famous dogs honored here have done noteworthy things in wars, movies, and everyday life. Their stories will warm any heart. Training and Behavior: From beginner tips on how to housebreak your new puppy, to advanced party manners for your old pal, dogs are amazingly receptive to training--you'll soon have your favorite dog picking up his own toys! Fun and Games: Hide and Seek for Treats, Doggy Circus, Search and Destroy...play games with one dog or a group of them. Also try Dog Agility and Dog Sports. . . your pup will love all the new ways to play! Doggy Treats: Patty-Cake Appetizers, Chewy Chicken Nuggets, Peanut Butter Biscuits, and more are guaranteed to satisfy doggy cravings. Canine Crackups: Sure they're smart and loving, but another thing we love about dogs is how they can make us laugh. This section is full of jokes, humor pieces, and all the really funny things dogs do.

The Edwardian House Explained


Trevor Yorke - 2006
    They find the intoxicating blend of history, rustication and detailed styling more appealing than the plain and synthetic houses of recent years. The Edwardian house comes in all shapes, sizes and materials. It was essentially conservative in design, often harking back to a romantic age with elaborate but solid constructions. Garden Cities and suburbs were planned on a larger scale than ever before. There was a feeling of space and comfort that would disappear in the turmoil and tragedy of the First World War. Using his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains in an easy to understand manner all aspects of the Edwardian house, particularly its style. The book provides a definitive guide for those who are renovating, tracing the history of their own house or simply interested in this brief but notable period of the early twentieth century. The book provides a background to different phases of design and influences between 1900 and 1914. These include what became known as Arts and Crafts, and domestic revival, much inspired by the work of late Victorian architects. There are also the neo-Georgian classical and symmetrical facades that had come back into fashion after the work of Norman Shaw in the late 1880s and 1890s. As with other titles in this series, The Edwardian House Explained is profusely illustrated with drawings and diagrams of the period details which can help date them. There is also a glossary of the more unfamiliar architectural terms.

The Queen Anne House: America's Victorian Vernacular


Janet Foster - 2006
    In this first-ever book on the American Queen Anne style, noted preservationist Janet W. Foster presents a thoughtful recognition of these houses' place in the history of American architecture. Built across the U.S. during the late 19th century (The Inn at Castle Hill in Newport, RI, is a popular example), features of Queen Anne homes include gabled roofs; corbelled chimneys; vertical windows; large porches; balconies; and cut-stone foundations. Foster explains distinguishing elements of the Queen Anne tradition as she examines 21 noted homes, many of them not open to the public and never before published. With more than 200 magnificent photographs, this homage to a great American art form will delight anyone who appreciates a beautiful home.

Consumption and Literature: The Making of the Romantic Disease


Clark Lawlor - 2006
    It argues that literary works (cultural media) are not secondary in our perceptions of disease, but are among the primary determinants of physical experience. In order to explain the apparent disparity between literary myth and bodily reality, Lawlor examines literature and medicine from the Renaissance to the late Victorian period, and covers a wide range of authors and characters, major and minor, British and American (Shakespeare, Sterne, Mary Tighe, Keats, Amelia Opie).

Europe - 1789 to 1914 - Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire (Europe)


John M. Merriman - 2006
    Broad in its scope, the encyclopedia encompasses all areas of human endeavor, exploring the period's scientific, social and cultural history as well as the political, military and economic developments. It illustrates the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era on Europe, and the transformation of its political, social, and cultural institutions by the forces of industrialization, nationalism, mass politics, imperialism, great power rivalries and innovative cultural change. It links European experience to the history of the rest of the world, continuing the Charles Scribner's Sons' award-winning line from Ancient Europe and Encyclopedia of the Renaissance through Europe 1450-1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World.

The Early Short Fiction: Kerfol, Mrs. Manstey's View, the Bolted Door, the Dilettante, the House of the Dead Hand.


Edith Wharton - 2006