The Duchess

Dec 11, 2011 Petra X rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-true-story

A pretty girl from a titled, extremely wealthy family is sold off to an older man with an even more aristocratic title and loads more money as a brood mare. She is told he loves her, what 17 year-old wouldn't believe that? It isn't true, he just wants a mother for his future son and heir.

As she grows a little more mature she discovers twin passions - fashion and politics, which being a woman, she can only comment on, not vote or act herself. Combining those into a glittering salon for the wealth...more A pretty girl from a titled, extremely wealthy family is sold off to an older man with an even more aristocratic title and loads more money as a brood mare. She is told he loves her, what 17 year-old wouldn't believe that? It isn't true, he just wants a mother for his future son and heir.

As she grows a little more mature she discovers twin passions - fashion and politics, which being a woman, she can only comment on, not vote or act herself. Combining those into a glittering salon for the wealthy, well-connected and appreciative gives her a measure of fulfillment. Not just fulfillment but solace too as her cold husband adds disdain to his list of unlovely qualities when she produces two daughters and no sons. In time she does have a son, this gains her a monetary reward from the Duke, as if she needed it.

She befriends a woman whose adultery has caused her husband to throw her out and keep the children. The woman is destitute and has nowhere to live (aristocratic women do not consider working or living in anything less that a grand house with a domestic staff) and so Georgiana takes her in. And she takes Georgiana's husband in. Best friends going off with one's husband isn't that uncommon but living in a menage a trois, breakfast-for-three was the cruel way Georgiana was forced to live otherwise she too would have lost her children.

Her life, already a soapopera descends even further into low melodrama. There is a reconciliation with her sister-wife over her own affair which produces a child that has to be given up to the father's parents. This all drags on until death-by-consumption whereupon the snake in the grass best friend marries the Duke, takes over the role of duchess and since there is nowhere else for the story to go, it ends.

But - Georgiana's only son never married or had children, despite many mistresses. He was as unlike his father as a son could be - he fought slavery, rebuilt the houses and villages of the poor on his lands, and took a great interest in fruit production: the bananas you buy from the supermarket were named after him, Cavendish.

If melodrama is in the veins, then it is of no surprise that the late Princess Diana was Georgiana's great-great-grand niece.

Something strange to consider. The upper classes seek now, as always, to marry their daughters into an even 'higher' family, the closer to royalty the more socially successful the marriage. The merely wealthy have always sought to marry their daughters into the aristocracy gaining the social nous that money alone cannot buy. Catherine Middleton, our future queen, is the daughter of two flight attendants who now own a rather cheesy but mega-successful online party supply company.

What is ironic is that the Royal Family don't seem to be snobs in quite that way. Princess Diana, over 30 years ago, was the last aristocrat to marry into royalty, all the others were ordinary middle-class people. This applies to a lot of Europe and even Japan. Odd really when you think about it, that the most glittering prize of all, marriage to an heir to a throne is out of reach to all those marriage-brokering marrying-up aristocrats, they have to settle for one rung down.(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Devon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading Ms. Foreman's biography of Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire is no short of a serious addiction. I can't sleep, rest, or do anything, I can't put down this beautiful book!

What is most admirable of Foreman's work is her attention to detail; not only about Georgiana but also the court and culture of the time period. You get an in-depth glimpse into the sordid, extravagent life of the ton, the top 1,200 socialites in London, of which Georgiana reigned as queen.

I saw a few reviews describe th...more

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Dec 01, 2008 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For those of us who love to read, hearing about an exciting movie adaptation makes us want to read the book. We, the few and the proud, will sit on our literary high horses and wait to finish the book even if it means the movie is no longer in theaters. I am one such reader and this is one such book. I saw a preview and was immediately drawn in, but as soon as I realized it was based upon a prize-winning biography, I immediately ordered a copy. I had high expectations, which I am glad to report...more For those of us who love to read, hearing about an exciting movie adaptation makes us want to read the book. We, the few and the proud, will sit on our literary high horses and wait to finish the book even if it means the movie is no longer in theaters. I am one such reader and this is one such book. I saw a preview and was immediately drawn in, but as soon as I realized it was based upon a prize-winning biography, I immediately ordered a copy. I had high expectations, which I am glad to report were not disappointed. Foreman admits to readers in her preface that during her research she became enraptured by Georgiana, which few could deny after a quick skim of her source material - how many letters, diaries, newspapers, and books she must have slogged through over the years to create this entertaining picture of the Duchess of Devonshire.

In many ways, Georgiana's life was rather tragic, or I suppose as tragic as a life can be when part of the late 18th century aristocracy. Though she was for much of her life the glamorous head of the ton (the social elite) and friends with the fashion-forward Marie Antoinette, she suffered from gambling addiction, marital problems, exile from her family, and ill health. Despite these constant anxieties in her life, Georgiana was well-educated and deeply involved in politics. This book details her active support of the Whig party, including election canvassing, and the extent to which she directed its strategy. A great patron of the arts and sciences, her influence was far-reaching and she was admired as often as she was jealously envied.

Her story seems to write itself, but that owes more to Foreman's skill as a biographer than to the amount of history left behind. Generations of Spencers (yes, the same family that also brought us Princess Diana) destroyed many of her correspondences or censored parts that could have been embarrassing to them later. While Foreman does take some liberties of omniscience, these are easily forgiven in the grand scheme of the work as a whole - her reliability as a biographer is never endangered. Georgiana truly jumps off the page and gives readers an appreciation of how active 18th century aristocratic women could be both socially and politically. This biography is truly worth your time, though of course I would recommend reading it before seeing the movie . . . which I can now view guilt free.(less)

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Jun 11, 2007 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history geeks, women

Shelves: history-british, history, owned, 18th-century, examined-lives, grande-dames

Beautiful, passionate, but lost. That story didn't have a happy ending in the 18th century, either. This story is rather depressing at times, but vastly amusing and interesting otherwise. To say this woman led a fascinating life is an understatement. She did ridiciulous, stupid things, and the author is a little bit overly tolerant of these mistakes. (She said herself she's in love with Georgiana a little.) So you have to take the somewhat rosy picture of Georgiana's character being painted with...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Sandhya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I normally don't read historical books, but found this interesting, almost novel-like. I do love this period in British history, and Georgiana was an amazing woman: politically savvy, socially powerful, and intelligent. But I think because of my lack of passion for historical texts generally (I mostly read fiction), I found the book a little dry and also confusing at times (there were many, many "characters" and despite the family trees at the beginning of the book, it was hard to keep them all...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Bettie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, nonfiction, history, autumn-2012, tbr-busting-2012, fraudio, gambling, georgian1714-1830, filthy-lucre, lifestyles-deathstyles, published-1988, debut, politics, recreational-drugs

British Aristocracy - 18th C. Unabridged.

From wiki: Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Spencer) 7 June 1757 – 30 March 1806 was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb. She is an ancestor (via her illegitimate daughter Eliza Courtney) of Sarah, Duchess of York. She is also related to Diana, Princess of Wales, who was...more

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Oct 21, 2009 Jen Richer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having seen the movie before reading, I was expecting the same seedy love affair between the unhappily wed but wildly popular Georgiana Spencer, great aunt to the late Princess Diana and Whig Party up-and-comer Charles Gray. As in her real life, the affair was hardly a chapter’s worth of material

What started as a dissertation for her graduate studies for the author, quickly developed into an 18 –month, 450 page study on not only the life of Lady G, but an historical briefing on women, power, pol...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Christina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, 2009-reads

The title of the biography and the jacket blurb would lead one to believe that Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire is about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. But I think the biography was less about Gerogiana and more about the politics in Georgiana’s time. I realize that Georgiana was very involved in the Whig party, but the book as a whole droned on and on about England’s political scene.

And while I personally find politics fascinating, in this book the Duchess of Devonshire, the most popular per...more

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Sep 22, 2008 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After finishing "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" by Amanda Foreman, I have come to the conclusion that the flaming youth of the 1770's and 80's were just about as wild a bunch that could be. It seems that the generation of aristocrats who came of age in the decade and a half immediately before the French Revolution liked to live life at the edge. Fashions were extreme, homes were elaborate, and fortunes were gambled blithely away. Traditional morals and religious practice were given a public n...more
After finishing "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" by Amanda Foreman, I have come to the conclusion that the flaming youth of the 1770's and 80's were just about as wild a bunch that could be. It seems that the generation of aristocrats who came of age in the decade and a half immediately before the French Revolution liked to live life at the edge. Fashions were extreme, homes were elaborate, and fortunes were gambled blithely away. Traditional morals and religious practice were given a public nod while being privately cast aside. The "sweetness of living," as Talleyrand nostalgically referred to the "ancien régime," was to be replaced by the wars and successive revolutions of the next two centuries.

The decadent old world, which would soon be turned upside down, was in England presided over with glamor and opulence by Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. In France, Marie-Antoinette was perceived as being the queen of the fashionable whirl, but she was never so popular in society and genuinely influential in politics as was her friend Georgiana in England. Also, Marie-Antoinette's domestic life became calmer after the birth of her first child at age twenty-two. With Louis XVI to steady her, she eventually gave up gambling, and became the strong and courageous queen who was able to face the upheavals of the Revolution. Furthermore, Louis did not indulge in chronic infidelity as did the Duke of Devonshire. Georgiana, on the other hand, went from one personal fiasco to another, hardly ever letting up until she was in her forties, and even then died with enormous debts.

The book gives a detailed account of the vast political influence wielded by ladies of high society in the days when women could not vote. The assortment of characters depicted by Reynolds and Gainsborough were finally given personality for me in Foreman's well-written biography. My trouble was with Georgiana herself. I could not grasp why she was so psychologically needy, what with the drinking and all night parties and spending and inordinate attachments to her friends. She had come from a loving family, although they were not perfect, but at least they cared and actively intervened in her troubles. Her husband did not love her, clearly, but many women were in loveless marriages. Unlike Marie-Antoinette, Georgiana could not seem to get her gambling under control. I do not understand why such a charming, intelligent and popular woman would be so insecure. Part of this is because I am so used to reading and writing about people who had extreme traumas and upheavals, such as Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and their immediate family. Most of poor Georgiana's troubles were of her own making and completely avoidable. While she is a fascinating character, adored by the common folk for her ability to mingle, she is a bit puzzling.

For one thing, it was so odd for Georgiana to tolerate Bess Foster's presence in the Duke of Devonshire's bed for all those years. Georgiana was such a bottomless pit of emotional need that she insisted on keeping Bess as her friend no matter what. As for Bess, she wanted everything Georgiana had; she wanted to be Georgiana. In the end, she had her way, and became the Duchess of Devonshire, but she was never loved the way Georgiana was loved. Georgiana's daughter Harriet described Bess thus: "...More perverted than deceitful...I really believe she hardly knows herself the difference between right and wrong now." (p. 308) Foreman says that Bess' version of events in her diary "was more fantasy than truth." (p.177) This is why I take it as a grain of salt when anything Bess wrote in regard to Count Fersen and Marie-Antoinette is given as evidence that they had an affair.

I also wish to point out that, contrary to what is said on page 129, Marie-Antoinette did not weep in front of her attendants when Count Fersen left Versailles in 1778. The Swedish ambassador recorded that her eyes "filled with tears," which is different from having a good cry. Marie-Antoinette was pregnant at the time with her first child. She may have been a bit emotional as are many women in that condition. It could also be that the "beau Fersen" did indeed impress her with his charm and masculine beauty. She was not made of wood. But what must be remembered is that the Austrian ambassador Count Mercy, who constantly spied on Marie-Antoinette, reporting everything to her mother, did not think the incident with Fersen was worth mentioning. He was more upset about the influence of Madame de Polignac on the young queen. The Spanish ambassador Count Aranda, who paid servants to inspect the royal sheets so that he knew when the king and queen had relations, also did not think anything of the Queen's friendship with Fersen.

The person I find to be most sympathetic in the biography about Georgiana is her long-suffering mother, Lady Spencer. I do not blame Lady Spencer one bit for having the governess as her spy. After all, she had to keep track of the various illegitimate children who were being smuggled into the Cavendish nursery, after being born and fostered out with utmost secrecy. Between Bess Foster and Georgiana's sister Harriet, I lost track of which child belonged to whom. And then Georgiana herself, fleeing to France to give birth to little Eliza. At least the children were not abandoned or destroyed; each was given care and love. For Lady Spencer to try to supervise the situation, and attempt to have Bess thrown out, was basic prudence. She was the only responsible adult in the clan and how her daughters carried on must have broken her heart.

I wish I could have understood why Georgiana plunged into the affair with Charles Grey, Eliza's father. Her life was already a mess, what with the heavy drinking and gambling; her involvement with Earl Grey served to further complicate matters. The affair seemed to come not so much from a great love but from sheer recklessness on the part of someone who had totally lost control of her life. However, the book does not capture any sense of passion. Perhaps that is because so many of Georgiana's letters were censored or destroyed by her Victorian descendants, quite an editorial feat in itself.

To Georgiana's credit, she often displayed genuine remorse for her disordered ways and tried to amend her life. Her failing health eventually forced her into a simpler, calmer existence. Her oldest daughter wrote that she was the best of mothers. The Duchess was devoted to her family, no question about it, while struggling with so many addictive behaviors, so many demons. Tormented she was, without a doubt. I only wish I understood why.(less)

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Sep 01, 2008 Adriana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who can take large amounts of information

Recommended to Adriana by: Lillian

Shelves: love-it, notable-mentions

This is proving to be a very fascinating read! Very political, very sexual (not in a broad sense but with underlying tones.) It appears that Princess Diana's great aunt, seven times removed, set precedent for her niece on eccentricities. Although I loved Diana, she was a bit of an oddball. However, I do find that I am falling in love with Georgiana, as well. A free spirit, a romantic and a brave lady. CAn't wait to finish it! Stay tuned!

Okay, so I have about fifty pages to go and cannot seem to...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this at a used bookstore a month or so ago, and have barely made it past the "notes on the politics of the time" in the preface. But I went to a movie yesterday and saw a preview for a movie called "The Duchess" staring Keira Knightly, so I need to read it before the movie jades me!!
I studied 18th century British portraiture and political cartoons in depth when I studied abroad my junior year of college, so I expect to find this really interesting.

------------
Update: finished!

Wow, Forema...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Colette added it · review of another edition

I got bored and frustrated in the middle with all the hysterical insecurity and massive gambling debts, late-night partying leading to infertility or miscarriages, but by the end, particularly after the Duchess replaced drinking, drugs, and gambling with chemistry and mineralogy, I really liked the book. Certainly well-written and meticulously researched, it left me musing once again on the constrictive lives of intelligent, articulate, dynamic women in extremely misogynist, patriarchal times.

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Sep 28, 2008 Terri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

having watched the new film "the duchess" which was apparently based on this read, i was once again reminded of the sad life of a seemingly powerful woman who really behind closed doors had no power at all -- at least not over what really mattered.

the film paints a more sympathetic heroine charging her excesses and decisions to the actions of her duty-devoted mum and unfeeling and at times cruel husband. and it tended to focus more on the intertwined relations of georgiana, her husband, bess and...more

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Sep 14, 2008 Kellie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006-reads, non-fiction, bookclub-books

This was a tough one to get through. The book was too long. I think it was more about politics than Georgiana. I think the author should have had a more narrow scope. Is this a book about Georgiana? Or, is it a book about England’s political scene during her life time? One or the other please. There is definitely interesting history in this book. And Georgiana’s life is worth reading about. I just think the author could have done a better job. Georgiana lived from 1757 to 1806. She lived thru th...more

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Jun 20, 2009 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with a lot of old biographies, there are hundreds of names to remember, dates, and events. If you ever were lacking in your knowledge of 18th century english and French history, you can gain a lot by this book. Dense, spotted by correspondences that were ressurected by historians, this book is only saved by the juicy gossip, vices, and big blunders these people made. Of course women were trapped in their lives as nasty mistresses or sad wives, but a few are noteworthy. A great biography but s...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Esme rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book really took me by surprise. It's not candycoated historical fiction, it is a really exacting portrayal of Georgiana. The author has tons of (interesting) quotes and footnotes, and relies soley on facts to paint a RICH portrait of the french revolution, the whig party etc. REALLY GOOD!

fun fact I learned from this book: apparently, while giviing toasts during the men-only portions of fancy dinners, english politicians would relieve themselves into chamber pots in the corners of rooms, w...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wouldn't have sought out this book if I hadn't seen the movie "Duchess" on a recent transAtlantic flight. I remember, vaguely, hearing about the book when it was first released in 1998, when much was made of the similarities between Princess Diana and her ancestor, the subject of this book, Georgiana Spencer. This notion of their similarities was reason for me NOT to read the book---hadn't we already had way too much of the Spencer family in recent years, without going back a couple of centuri...more I wouldn't have sought out this book if I hadn't seen the movie "Duchess" on a recent transAtlantic flight. I remember, vaguely, hearing about the book when it was first released in 1998, when much was made of the similarities between Princess Diana and her ancestor, the subject of this book, Georgiana Spencer. This notion of their similarities was reason for me NOT to read the book---hadn't we already had way too much of the Spencer family in recent years, without going back a couple of centuries to uncover more of their story?
But the movie piqued my interest. Georgiana Spencer was, if the movie were accurate, a fascinating and very complex character, radically unlike anyone I'd ever read about. And If Diana Spencer was, as she herself said, "thick as a plank," then she couldn't have been more different from her forebear, who was acutely intelligent and enormously multi-talented. Self-sabotaging, yes, a serial mistake-maker, yes, an adulterer, yes, a woman who relied too heavily on pharmaceuticals, yes---in these ways, we can see a Diana connection. But Georgiana was a leader of the Whig Party, a woman who wielded enormous political power throughout her life. She was an accomplished student of chemistry and mineralogy in her middle age, a playwright and poet, too. Foreman's book shows us that women, aristocratic women like Georgiana, moved easily in political and cultural circles of power in eighteenth century England. Though still not officially the equals of men, they nevertheless had plenty of outright influence. This was all, of course, to change for the worse in the nineteenth century, when Victorian ideas of women's roles limited them to marriage, motherhood, and simpering subservience to men. Not only is "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" a truly compelling biography, therefore, it's a revelatory portrait of an age.
PS: The movie treats Georgiana's life in a very superficial way. It's fun to watch, but wildly misleading as a source of biographical fact.(less)

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May 20, 2013 Elaine rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lady Georgiana Spencer was born in 1757. When she was eight her father became the first Earl Spencer. Diana's brother is the 9th. She married the Duke of Devonshire and spent her married life at Chatsworth. A loveless marriage.

She was a friend of Marie Antoinette and the future George IV. Her outlandish hairstyles rivaled Marie Antoinette's.

James II and Louis XIV were cousins.

Jacobite, a follower of Jacobitism, the political movement dedicated to the return of the Stuart kings to the thrones of...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-bio-hist, biography

This is an interesting time in British history. We Americans tend more to focus on our revolution and its luminaries. Most of us connect with British history before and after this time. There was a lot going on in Britain, as Foreman documents as she tells the tale of Georgiana Spenser, whose brother is an ancestor to Princess Diana.

Parallels to Georgiana's life and Diana's include being emotionally needy while trapped in loveless marriages. Both marriages came with privileges and constraints. B...more This is an interesting time in British history. We Americans tend more to focus on our revolution and its luminaries. Most of us connect with British history before and after this time. There was a lot going on in Britain, as Foreman documents as she tells the tale of Georgiana Spenser, whose brother is an ancestor to Princess Diana.

Parallels to Georgiana's life and Diana's include being emotionally needy while trapped in loveless marriages. Both marriages came with privileges and constraints. Both were forced into compromises and both, like forces of nature, found ways to persevere to do what they thought was right. Georgiana was perhaps the more adventurous, but in her time there were no telephoto lenses or listening devises, only servants who, being human, could be dodged.

This is a story of aristocratic life in the 18th century. There is an austere social code. Perhaps gambling is popular since it relieves the tension. A lot depends on ceremony and reputations are very important.

Besides the fascinating portrait of Georgiana and her times, there are other interesting characters of note. One is Georgiana's sister Harriet. She suffers extreme domestic abuse as well as debilitating illness, but she is not a victim. She does not cower to this abusive husband and apparently flaunts him with affairs. The mother of these two daughters (as well as Diana's direct forebear) hectors her daughters to standards which she, herself, cannot uphold. I presume there is a good story about her son and how he re-establishes the family's finances after Lady Spencer's reckless gambling. Some of the men, including the Prince of Wales seem to be emotionally unstable, they fall to the floor and cry.

Georgiana had to accept Bess, her husband's mistress, in her home. Moderns might extrapolate a three way romance here, but if this is so, it still speaks to the power of the Duke. He could expel both of them to the continent and while he could experience societal pressure it was obviously not enough to prevent him from doing this. Bess, herself, is nothing without a male patron. Another society woman in similar circumstances is said to "starve". Illegitimate children are taken from their mothers and given to their father's wives to raise. Georgiana's marriage is essentially an official/legal bond to the Duke. She views and treats him more as a boss/authority than a loving husband. Despite her many abilities, they are not a partnership of equals.

Foreman gives a good introduction to the character of Georgiana and her times. More is needed on the pre 1800 issues so that the reader can understand what the Whigs are fighting for. They are vaguely defined as curbs on the King and some sympathy for the American colonists. After 1800 Forman introduces issues such abolition of the slave trade and rights for the Irish, which if they were part of the earlier narrative too, would have made the Whig's passion more meaningful. While this is a book about Georgiana, more on her husband, the Duke of Devonshire is warrented. What does he do with his time? How does he preserve his wealth at a time when so many are losing theirs, and how does he fit into Georgiana's political life? (less)

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Feb 21, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you're not interested in reading about politics in 18th century England, than I say, with absolute certainty, that "The Duchess" is not for you.
While the writing was very informative and precise, I did find myself starting to skim the sections that would describe the Duchess's role and influence within the politcal structure of her time. And believe me, there were a lot.
While the movie (under the same title) hints upon her involvement within the Whig Party, it chooses rather to focus on her...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

Many books gain public attention when Hollywood transforms them into motion pictures starring celebrities like Keira Knightley or Rachel McAdams. Only then do some books, good for their own merit, make their way off the bookshelves with newly produced covers featuring beautiful faces. The Duchess, originally titled Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire but changed to match the movie title, was written by Amanda Foreman and published in 1998. Though it was a New York Times bestseller, the biography of...more Many books gain public attention when Hollywood transforms them into motion pictures starring celebrities like Keira Knightley or Rachel McAdams. Only then do some books, good for their own merit, make their way off the bookshelves with newly produced covers featuring beautiful faces. The Duchess, originally titled Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire but changed to match the movie title, was written by Amanda Foreman and published in 1998. Though it was a New York Times bestseller, the biography of this interesting character in history accumulated publicity through the filming of the The Duchess starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, which was released in 2008.

The biography details the life of Georgiana Cavendish, nee Spencer, depicting an ambivalent attitude toward Georgiana's character. Ambivalence is an indication of good biography as biases are not, so I find Foreman's research and writing to be as honest as history can get. Foreman highlights Georgiana's failures, such as adultery, depression, drinking, and gambling but does not wholly condemn her for such habits. It is easy to sympathize with the young duchess who has been exposed to her parents' marriage for years before her own; emulation was ineluctable as Georgiana began the same pattern of self-destructive behavior her mother had exhibited for years.

Another strength of Foreman's is the construction of Georgiana's world; England's political landscape and the wild doings of the aristocracy are the canvas for Georgiana's life and they become just as important to the biography as Georgiana's own character. The Prince of Wales, later George IV, lives a scandalous life of his own; if Britain's royalty was dysfunctional, there was certainly no hope for the aristocracy, which catered to the whims of the royals and emulated their attitudes and actions.

Though the film version of The Duchess was enjoyable, the biography offers a more stimulating and insightful glimpse into Georgiana's life. Georgiana struggles against her weaknesses, while maintaining a fashionable presence in the social and political arena. The unhappiness of her marriage and her strange relationship with her husband's mistress is more fully developed with the inclusion of excerpts from letters and diaries. Rather wonderfully, we discover that Georgiana wrote and published a novel called The Sylph, which is a great complement to the biography. (less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Beth Wanless rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of those books that you are depressed when you get to the end of it. I believe this is Amanda Foreman's first book and it will likely be her best work when her career comes to an end. The movie with Keira Knightly, the Duchess, is based off of this book.

It's the biography of the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, a descendant of Princess Diana. She is one of my favorite historical figures, alive in the 18th and 19th centuries. I don't know how Foreman collected so m...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Naima Haviland rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed The Duchess, a biography of the 18th century Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, written by Amanda Foreman. This biography was thorough. It follows her life ranging from birth to death, including all the changes in culture, politics, the arts, and so on that influenced her and that SHE influenced. Georgiana was a fascinating person whose loves, addictions, bravado, and natural elan made news at times on a daily basis. She was an extremely visible political campaigner, a compulsive gamble...more

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Jan 06, 2013 hamptonenglish10 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Katie Felitsky
ms. brooks and ms. sims
january 7, 2013
english 10

This is the award winning biography from 1997 and Whitbread Prize winner. This book is set in the late eighteenth-century in Britian with the main character being Gerogianna. Georgianna starts her fame by marrying one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats, the Duke of Devonshire. Launched into the world of aristocracy she quickly becomes a fashion queen and influential in that matter. Later down the road she quickly be...more Katie Felitsky
ms. brooks and ms. sims
january 7, 2013
english 10

This is the award winning biography from 1997 and Whitbread Prize winner. This book is set in the late eighteenth-century in Britian with the main character being Gerogianna. Georgianna starts her fame by marrying one of England's richest and most influential aristocrats, the Duke of Devonshire. Launched into the world of aristocracy she quickly becomes a fashion queen and influential in that matter. Later down the road she quickly become less content of her position of only being a hostess. Then, by using her connections she quickly gets a higher position, and that position is in politics. With her good works and social exploits making her loved by the people, but what the people didnt know is that she hid a lot of her personal matters. This being her husband, the Duke of Devonshire, was unimpressed by his wife's legendary charms and started seeing Elizabeth Foster the three lived together for awhile. The story takes a turn when Georgianna starts having problems in uncontrollable gambling, all-night drinking, drug taking, and love affairs with the leading politicians. Read to find out what happens with our love triangle and our Duchess on her downward spiral.

Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire is biography non-fiction. You know this because it tells you the events throughout the life of Georgianna told by a different person. Since this is a biography I learned a lot about her. I learned the reason why the two married was only because they were the richest family in Devonshire, but the two had nothing in common. Another fact would be that Georgiana had trouble bearing a boy for her husband but had many girls. Finally, she was very much in debt in her later years because of her gambling problem.

Lastly, I would recommend this book to my peers, but only to the ones who really enjoy history. This book was entertaining but if you enjoy action, or any story that keeps you on your toes this is not the book for you becuase it gives you her story straight with cold hard facts. Therefore, this book could go either way for you depending on what you enjoy.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Sharon Eudy Neufeld rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For anyone who has ever thought that being born rich, beautiful and loved would lead to a happy life I recommend this book. Georgiana Spencer was born in 1754, the first child of an extremely happy marriage to the rich Earl Spencer. She was doated on and well-educated and married at 17 to the Duke of Devonshire who proceeded to ignore her!

Georgiana lived at the very climax of the Age of Reason, was heavily involved in Whig politics (which sympathized with the American War of Independence). She...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

f I hadn’t enjoyed Foreman’s A World on Fire I probably would not have picked Georgiana off the second-hand bookstore shelf. So glad I did. Am looking forward to her next bio-history.

At first glance Georgiana resembles an 18th C version of Lady Diana Spencer, the late Princess of Wales. She was Diana’s great-great-great-great aunt and they had a host of traits in common. Each married a man who did not love her and brought an unseen “third party” to the altar. Both were fashion icons, subjects of...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Hala rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

شوفته كفيلم وسحرني ،، وقعدت طول اليوم غضبانه منها

هي كانت بنت عيلة غنية ومتعلمة كويس جدا وذكية اوي

تنبض بالحيوية ،، description

ويجبروها على طريقتنا من الزواج من الدوق
description

اللي كان كل همه انه يخلف ولاد وطبعا بيعمل علاقات جنسية مع ستات كتير

الدوقة كانت بتلعب قمار وبتهتم بالازياء جدا لدرجة انها كانت ملفته في جميع الحفلات

زواجها جلب لها التعاسة لانه ايه فايدة انك عايشة مع واحد مش بتحبيه ولا شبهك في التطلعات وكمان متطلب

وماعندوش ادنى من الحنان او حتى التفهّم

القاصمة انه نام مع صاحبتها

وكان بيرعى ولادها الصبيان من راجل ت...more

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May 03, 2012 Madeline rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-nonfiction

A good, very thorough biography of a fascinating woman - Foreman is lucky to have had access to hundreds of letters written by Georgiana and her colleagues, so we get to see the historical figures telling their stories in their own words (something I'm not used to, being more fond of Tudor-era history). Also interesting was how many of Georgiana's letters don't survive, and why. She had some Victorian descendants who, due to being Victorian, took it upon themselves to clean up their ancestor's i...more A good, very thorough biography of a fascinating woman - Foreman is lucky to have had access to hundreds of letters written by Georgiana and her colleagues, so we get to see the historical figures telling their stories in their own words (something I'm not used to, being more fond of Tudor-era history). Also interesting was how many of Georgiana's letters don't survive, and why. She had some Victorian descendants who, due to being Victorian, took it upon themselves to clean up their ancestor's image by censoring or even destroying any letters that openly discussed Georgiana's numerous affairs. Thanks a lot, prudes.

This is a well-written history, but it failed to really capture my attention. First, because Georgiana herself was a really depressing person, constantly drowning in gambling debts and suffering from a serious lack of affection from everyone in her life - no wonder she devoted herself so whole-heartedly to politics, and latched on furiously to anyone who showed her even the smallest amount of affection.

The politics are the other issue - in a nutshell, they are boring as fuck. It's just "so and so was Prime Minister, but Georgiana supported so-and-so, and have I explained Whig politics yet? Well strap yourselves in, because it is a thrill ride!" Trust me, it isn't. Normally I'm okay with political backstory, but in this case it isn't backstory, it's the entire book. In my history books, I like the scandal/politics to be about 60/40. Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire is 75% politics and only 25% scandal, which I found disappointing. Also, the politics are described in a way that just puts me to sleep, as seen here:

"Then, in March 1803, Addington made a formal offer to Pitt to join a new government in which both men would become Secretaries of State under the nominal premiership of the Earl of Chatham. Pitt refused. Addington made him another offer in April, which included places for Lord Grenville and Georgiana's brother. This time it was the cabinet, unaware of the negotiations, which vetoed the idea."

That's about as exciting as the politics get here - so if that sounds like a good time to you, go right ahead.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There aren't many biographies that I've read again and again.

I first read this exquisite biography many years ago, way before the release of the film starring a miscast Keira Knightley. I was browsing in a bookstore and was drawn by the cover of this book, which showed Gainsborough's arresting portrait of the Georgian celebrity, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, and whose notoriety in her day rivalled that of her famous descendant.

Foreman tells Georgiana's story with vigour, but also with...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

The duchess is a fantastic true story about the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and her life after the arranged marriage. She is a very corageous woman who stood firm and made her personal beliefs known throughout her lifetime, with a poinant role in politics. She was a model of sophistication showing pure elegance and decadence of the era and portraying a enigmatic model within society. She may have been unhappy in marriage but her affair was suposedly to help ease her distress which sadly only...more The duchess is a fantastic true story about the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and her life after the arranged marriage. She is a very corageous woman who stood firm and made her personal beliefs known throughout her lifetime, with a poinant role in politics. She was a model of sophistication showing pure elegance and decadence of the era and portraying a enigmatic model within society. She may have been unhappy in marriage but her affair was suposedly to help ease her distress which sadly only ended in disaster and her having to make the toughest desision of all; to keep her wealth, title and position in society or to give it all up for love. The romantic part in all of us would be screaming out that she should follow her heart, but when her precious children are involved then the realism of the situation before her is crystal clear. One may have friends whom they love, one may have a lover but with a child it is a much stronger bond, a bond that only a mother and a woman who has physically produced a child can understand and to contemplate seperating that 'bond' is unthinkable to anyone. This 'threat' that the Duke uses was the greatest advantage of his in his position and whether we are wealthy and high in society or not, we can all relate to this particular charicter in regards to physical and mental dominance and controlling behaviour. This story was so emotive that a lot of the time i found myself welling up and i could so easily relate to the specific charicters with their thoughts and feelings, as the book covers many things that one encounters throughout life. It was a fantastic novel and one that is now made into a film (Kiera Knightly), and it is a must read for anyone who is seeking a book that makes you feel, think and contemplate. Which incites all senses and emotions and is truely great. It is heartbreaking, soulful and reflective of the times and of how social status and hierachy matters. Read it because i know that you will 'get something' out of it. (less)

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Duchess of Devonshire	5	52	Dec 01, 2012 03:18pm
lost opportunity	3	43	Apr 18, 2012 12:46pm

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