What do you think?
Rate this book
Jane Austen's England
Drawing on contemporary sources including diaries, letters, newspapers and trial proceedings as well as Jane Austen's own correspondence and writings, Roy and Lesley Adkins have created a wide-ranging and richly detailed social history of English life in the early 19th century that offers new perspectives on the world of the great novelist. Covering everything from childbirth, education and work to the darker side of Georgian society, poverty and crime, the book provides an illuminating companion to Austen's novels.
422 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2013
297 people are currently reading
5954 people want to read
About the author
Roy A. Adkins
29 books43 followersRoy Adkins is a historian and archaeologist. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
June 16, 2025
Spanning the period of Jane Austen’s birth in 1775 to her untimely death in 1817, the brilliant husband and wife Adkins-duo take on the social history of Georgian England, with the beginning years of the Regency period thrown into the mix as well. The Adkins have taken quite an undertaking in sifting through all of the research pertinent and available to the period, and they don’t shortcut some of the less-covered topics. Indeed, the subjects of superstition, breeding, filth, pleasure, and fashion are all delved into—not to mention the multitude of other cultural terms and themes that they bring back to life. This is not only a treasure trove of detail and delight for the Austen aficionado, but rather it can also be used by those interested in understanding the context and grander picture of a history that focuses on the late eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries.
The Adkins have thoroughly researched their material, as corresponding notes and fascinating nineteenth century definitions of otherwise regular words are found throughout. They also cleverly use an excerpt from one of Jane Austen’s novels to introduce each chapter—with bits of her life and journeys scattered throughout the text—as we are fondly reminded of her contribution to English society and culture. Chapters such as “Dark Deeds” are full of descriptive imagery, and when discussing thievery, the Adkins appropriately use primary sources to address the accounts of two deviants whom are found guilty and punished via the practice of transportation:
Despite this warning, Alice did manage to sail back to England, but was then recognised and rearrested. This time the offence was returning from transportation before the end of her sentence. She was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the jury recommended mercy. In July 1774 her sentence was changed to fourteen years’ transportation. People could be punished with transportation for extremely minor crimes, such as Robert Jones, a pickpocket who was sentenced in May 1774 to seven years’ transportation for stealing a linen handkerchief.
As with all cultural histories, the subject can get a bit dry—though fortunately, Jane Austen’s England is full of enough fascinating and suitably distinct topics that the reader can easily become engaged as each new chapter begins. The Adkins have magnificently covered the social and cultural history of this period with well-structured prose and a sound attention for detail, and have provided maps, a chronological overview of the times, and a separate description of the weights and measures used in the period. Illustrations are numerous as well, with a short yet fully descriptive summary accompanying each insert.
The Adkins have thoroughly researched their material, as corresponding notes and fascinating nineteenth century definitions of otherwise regular words are found throughout. They also cleverly use an excerpt from one of Jane Austen’s novels to introduce each chapter—with bits of her life and journeys scattered throughout the text—as we are fondly reminded of her contribution to English society and culture. Chapters such as “Dark Deeds” are full of descriptive imagery, and when discussing thievery, the Adkins appropriately use primary sources to address the accounts of two deviants whom are found guilty and punished via the practice of transportation:
Despite this warning, Alice did manage to sail back to England, but was then recognised and rearrested. This time the offence was returning from transportation before the end of her sentence. She was found guilty and sentenced to death, but the jury recommended mercy. In July 1774 her sentence was changed to fourteen years’ transportation. People could be punished with transportation for extremely minor crimes, such as Robert Jones, a pickpocket who was sentenced in May 1774 to seven years’ transportation for stealing a linen handkerchief.
As with all cultural histories, the subject can get a bit dry—though fortunately, Jane Austen’s England is full of enough fascinating and suitably distinct topics that the reader can easily become engaged as each new chapter begins. The Adkins have magnificently covered the social and cultural history of this period with well-structured prose and a sound attention for detail, and have provided maps, a chronological overview of the times, and a separate description of the weights and measures used in the period. Illustrations are numerous as well, with a short yet fully descriptive summary accompanying each insert.
February 14, 2017
This book does a wonderful job of bringing you a detailed and fascinating look at the world that Jane Austen inhabited. Granted many of the subjects covered won't appear in a Jane Austen book the same way the Fukushima earthquake wouldn't appear in a Twilight book.
Authors of JAFF should read this book. Especially the ones who love to have Darcy and Lizzy bathing multiple times per day in deep copper tubs of hot water.
Authors of JAFF should read this book. Especially the ones who love to have Darcy and Lizzy bathing multiple times per day in deep copper tubs of hot water.
July 22, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Well-written, engaging, easy to read and full of little details.
July 28, 2013
The husband and wife historians, Roy and Lesley Adkins, have done it again. They've written a lively, immensely informative survey giving us a look at life in England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Going beyond the rather narrow world that Austen writes about, the authors give us a glimpse of the daily lives of the middle and lower classes, who comprised three-quarters of the British population -- a population that included the great novelist herself.
If you want to become more familiar with the England of Jane Austen's time, if you want to pop in on an average day and see a poor-to-middlin' person at work or at play, getting born, growing up, marrying, through sickness and in health, Jane Austen's England is your time machine. Immensely readable, either cover-to-cover or as a pick-up-and-browse, this book is ideal for both Austen aficionados, and those who like to read popular history. One of the Adkins' strength as authors is their inclusion of first-hand accounts, judiciously peppered throughout this fascinating survey.
The hardback version is beautifully produced, with maps, images, appendices --including a timeline. Well footnoted and indexed, the style is never-the-less very readable. Indeed, the work not only sheds light on the era, it brings it to life.
Published in England as "Eavesdropping on Jane Austen's England."
Also highly recommended by the same authors -- Nelson's Trafalgar, The War for All the Oceans, and Jack Tar.
If you want to become more familiar with the England of Jane Austen's time, if you want to pop in on an average day and see a poor-to-middlin' person at work or at play, getting born, growing up, marrying, through sickness and in health, Jane Austen's England is your time machine. Immensely readable, either cover-to-cover or as a pick-up-and-browse, this book is ideal for both Austen aficionados, and those who like to read popular history. One of the Adkins' strength as authors is their inclusion of first-hand accounts, judiciously peppered throughout this fascinating survey.
The hardback version is beautifully produced, with maps, images, appendices --including a timeline. Well footnoted and indexed, the style is never-the-less very readable. Indeed, the work not only sheds light on the era, it brings it to life.
Published in England as "Eavesdropping on Jane Austen's England."
Also highly recommended by the same authors -- Nelson's Trafalgar, The War for All the Oceans, and Jack Tar.
October 15, 2019
The past is a different country. Jane Austen's England brings it out pretty accurately. The book covers different aspects of life in England during Austen's lifetime. The topics covered include births, weddings, deaths, home, religion, fashion, health, childhood, work, leisure, transport, crime, etc. Not much is left out and you do receive a comprehensive understanding of life in Georgian England. It did miss a food and drinks chapter, which would have been also interesting.
Fun and long-forgotten customs are explained and interesting day to day titbits are added to the narrative. But all is not hunky dory. Life was horrific in the extreme, especially if you happened to be poor. If work didn't get you, the workhouse did, and if you escaped it all, the physicians will kill you with their 'medicine'. Women can just forget having a life, even if you are rich. Subject not just to social restrictions and systemic official and governmental abuse, but also to the whims of male family members, their lives were never secure. No inheritance, no prospect of working, high rates of childbirth deaths all went to make it a living hell for women.
What surprised me was the social awareness of some of the middle-class writers even during this period. They realised things were wrong, especially with respect to the poor. But of course, the aristocracy and the government (which was basically the same thing in those days) didn't give a damn about anyone but their intensely narrow and self-serving ideals.
Sources used are varied, including both primary and secondary. The official documents provide an insight to how the system worked, but what I found more intriguing was snippets from personal letters and diaries of people from different walks of life. These provided a very intimate look at the everyday life in Georgian England, the England of Jane Austen, of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Georgette Heyer.
Speaking of whom, I have grown more appreciative of Heyer after reading this book. Her research has been immaculate and while she has always brought across the feel of the era quite accurately, it is surprising how accurate most of her life snippets are! I don't think another Regency romance author quite matches up.
This is really a must read for any fan of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer. It provides a really deeper understanding of the times you are reading about, and you will finally understand the difference between a landaulet and phaeton, why anyone would 'frank' letters, and how people were 'cupped' by thedoctors quacks.
Fun and long-forgotten customs are explained and interesting day to day titbits are added to the narrative. But all is not hunky dory. Life was horrific in the extreme, especially if you happened to be poor. If work didn't get you, the workhouse did, and if you escaped it all, the physicians will kill you with their 'medicine'. Women can just forget having a life, even if you are rich. Subject not just to social restrictions and systemic official and governmental abuse, but also to the whims of male family members, their lives were never secure. No inheritance, no prospect of working, high rates of childbirth deaths all went to make it a living hell for women.
What surprised me was the social awareness of some of the middle-class writers even during this period. They realised things were wrong, especially with respect to the poor. But of course, the aristocracy and the government (which was basically the same thing in those days) didn't give a damn about anyone but their intensely narrow and self-serving ideals.
Sources used are varied, including both primary and secondary. The official documents provide an insight to how the system worked, but what I found more intriguing was snippets from personal letters and diaries of people from different walks of life. These provided a very intimate look at the everyday life in Georgian England, the England of Jane Austen, of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Georgette Heyer.
Speaking of whom, I have grown more appreciative of Heyer after reading this book. Her research has been immaculate and while she has always brought across the feel of the era quite accurately, it is surprising how accurate most of her life snippets are! I don't think another Regency romance author quite matches up.
This is really a must read for any fan of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer. It provides a really deeper understanding of the times you are reading about, and you will finally understand the difference between a landaulet and phaeton, why anyone would 'frank' letters, and how people were 'cupped' by the
October 16, 2018
It’s probably fair to say this is neither an analytical nor a narrative history – certainly not the latter. What the authors do is take excerpts from first-hand accounts and put them together to provide the reader with insights into the past. It’s skilfully done though.
Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817, to my mind a particularly interesting period in British history, just at the beginning of the huge technological changes of the Industrial Revolution. Austen’s world still moved at the pace of the horse and the letter rather than the railway and the electrical telegraph, but even in her lifetime canals and textile factories had introduced major changes.
The book portrays life in England during this period (and it is England rather than Britain in the wider sense) through themes such as birth, marriage, home, work, leisure etc. I enjoyed most of the chapters though my interest varied according to the subject. For example, one section dealt with fashion and, having never been noted for sartorial elegance myself, I found that part quite slow.
Much of the book makes for fascinating though rather grim reading, the latter being especially true of those parts that cover child labour and childhood generally. The chapter on health will make you very thankful for modern medicine and very, very thankful for modern dentistry.
There are some lighter sections, such as that on leisure activities, which amongst other things covers the early development of sports like cricket and boxing. Most sporting activities of this period remained “rough and ready”, as illustrated by this startling advert for an annual holiday fair in the village of Yattendon, Berkshire:
“This is to give notice that Yattendon Revel will be kept as usual, on Friday 10 July next, and for the encouragement of gentlemen gamesters, and others, there will be given a good Gold Lac’d Hat, of 27s value, to be played for at cudgels; the man who breaks most heads to have the prize; 2s will be given to each man that positively breaks a head, for the first ten heads that are broke; and 1s to a man that has his head broke…the blood to run an inch or be deemed no head.”
There are a number of extracts from letters written by Jane Austen herself. Unsurprisingly these suggest she was an entertaining correspondent, and at times a drily humorous one.
A comprehensive picture of life in England 200-250 years ago. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.
Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817, to my mind a particularly interesting period in British history, just at the beginning of the huge technological changes of the Industrial Revolution. Austen’s world still moved at the pace of the horse and the letter rather than the railway and the electrical telegraph, but even in her lifetime canals and textile factories had introduced major changes.
The book portrays life in England during this period (and it is England rather than Britain in the wider sense) through themes such as birth, marriage, home, work, leisure etc. I enjoyed most of the chapters though my interest varied according to the subject. For example, one section dealt with fashion and, having never been noted for sartorial elegance myself, I found that part quite slow.
Much of the book makes for fascinating though rather grim reading, the latter being especially true of those parts that cover child labour and childhood generally. The chapter on health will make you very thankful for modern medicine and very, very thankful for modern dentistry.
There are some lighter sections, such as that on leisure activities, which amongst other things covers the early development of sports like cricket and boxing. Most sporting activities of this period remained “rough and ready”, as illustrated by this startling advert for an annual holiday fair in the village of Yattendon, Berkshire:
“This is to give notice that Yattendon Revel will be kept as usual, on Friday 10 July next, and for the encouragement of gentlemen gamesters, and others, there will be given a good Gold Lac’d Hat, of 27s value, to be played for at cudgels; the man who breaks most heads to have the prize; 2s will be given to each man that positively breaks a head, for the first ten heads that are broke; and 1s to a man that has his head broke…the blood to run an inch or be deemed no head.”
There are a number of extracts from letters written by Jane Austen herself. Unsurprisingly these suggest she was an entertaining correspondent, and at times a drily humorous one.
A comprehensive picture of life in England 200-250 years ago. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.
June 25, 2023
WELL-RESEARCHED AND INSIGHTFUL
I am Austen obsessed. Anything to do with Austen, I'll read. So when this book came to my attention I jumped at it, wanting to understand the setting of Austen's books even better. And it certainly delivered.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Research: It was obvious that the authors had done a lot of research before writing this book. It was evident all the way through. It made this a very comprehensive - but not dense - reading experience.
Structure: The structure of the book follows the life cycle of people in Regency England. It focuses on the main aspects of people's lives such as health, work and religion. It dives into every major life event. It felt very thorough and made the reading experience flow easily.
Sources: One thing I really adored was how often sources were cited. It felt like a blast from the past and really served to illustrate the points of the book.
Follow me for more book loving content!
Blog ✨ Facebook ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter
Blog Post: Which Book Should you read next based on your favourite Jane Austen Heroine
I am Austen obsessed. Anything to do with Austen, I'll read. So when this book came to my attention I jumped at it, wanting to understand the setting of Austen's books even better. And it certainly delivered.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Research: It was obvious that the authors had done a lot of research before writing this book. It was evident all the way through. It made this a very comprehensive - but not dense - reading experience.
Structure: The structure of the book follows the life cycle of people in Regency England. It focuses on the main aspects of people's lives such as health, work and religion. It dives into every major life event. It felt very thorough and made the reading experience flow easily.
Sources: One thing I really adored was how often sources were cited. It felt like a blast from the past and really served to illustrate the points of the book.
Follow me for more book loving content!
Blog ✨ Facebook ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter
Blog Post: Which Book Should you read next based on your favourite Jane Austen Heroine
September 4, 2016
Η Jane Austen μέσα από τα βιβλία της μας δίνει πολλές πληροφορίες για την ζωή στην Αγγλία της εποχής της. Η αλήθεια όμως είναι ότι δεν δίνει και τόσες πολλές ώστε να έχουμε μία ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα. Αυτό το πρόβλημα έρχεται να το λύσει αυτό εδώ το βιβλίο, δείχνοντας μάλιστα και ιδιαίτερο ζήλο. Ένας πραγματικός ποταμός πληροφοριών για κάθε πτυχή της ζωής στη χώρα που έζησε η μεγάλη συγγραφέας.
July 28, 2023
This is an easy-to-read, accessible, and nitty-gritty look at the details of what it looked like to live in Austen's England. (The book largely focuses pre-Regency in middle part of George III's reign.) The book is organized from 'Birth' to 'Death' and looks at everything in between: medicine, hygiene, travel, childcare, clothes, religion and superstition, leisure, money, and more. It's a very practical look at the era, and I did find it very helpful as a reference. I was even able to apply what I learned to a Regency romance I was reading and the difference between tallow and beeswax candles! The authors weave tidbits about Jane's life expertly into the chapters (the final chapter was particularly moving when it covers Jane's death). There are also extensive quotes and examples from other diarists and letter writers of the era, such as Parson James Woodforde who lived in Norfolk and kept an extensive journal.
If you want to keep your illusion of Jane Austen's era being like a lush BBC adaptation, don't read this book. Tongue in cheek, but it's still true. My buddy reading group laughed about this rather ruefully. The book rather relentlessly exposes how tough it would be to live in this era. Muddy and bad roads, haphazard travel, extensive poverty, bad hygiene, no licensing for doctors and sketchy medicine, sketchy food (no FDA!), and much more. I've never been so glad to brush my teeth (that are still all present!), have piped water, regulations about food, and a basic knowledge of the human body and how disease works (as a complete layperson!).
So actually, Jane Austen was quite well off in her day even after her father's death. Of course, her situation was precarious then but her brothers were able to support the dependent females in the family even then and their quality of life was high for her day and age. It's very interesting to think about the connections between art and one's quality of life.
I think I did expect this book to have more about the politics and trends and philosophies of Jane's day, but it is really practically focused. I enjoy those details because I am a very practical person, but I do find myself wanting to look for a book now about the bigger forces that shaped Jane's life. She's called neoclassical and the zeitgeist was moving towards Romanticism. What does all that mean? How does it infilrate the water Jane swims in and create her into a writer of her time who still transcends her time in a remarkable way? This isn't that book. And that's okay! I enjoyed this book...but I'm still on the hunt for that other book.
If you want to keep your illusion of Jane Austen's era being like a lush BBC adaptation, don't read this book. Tongue in cheek, but it's still true. My buddy reading group laughed about this rather ruefully. The book rather relentlessly exposes how tough it would be to live in this era. Muddy and bad roads, haphazard travel, extensive poverty, bad hygiene, no licensing for doctors and sketchy medicine, sketchy food (no FDA!), and much more. I've never been so glad to brush my teeth (that are still all present!), have piped water, regulations about food, and a basic knowledge of the human body and how disease works (as a complete layperson!).
So actually, Jane Austen was quite well off in her day even after her father's death. Of course, her situation was precarious then but her brothers were able to support the dependent females in the family even then and their quality of life was high for her day and age. It's very interesting to think about the connections between art and one's quality of life.
I think I did expect this book to have more about the politics and trends and philosophies of Jane's day, but it is really practically focused. I enjoy those details because I am a very practical person, but I do find myself wanting to look for a book now about the bigger forces that shaped Jane's life. She's called neoclassical and the zeitgeist was moving towards Romanticism. What does all that mean? How does it infilrate the water Jane swims in and create her into a writer of her time who still transcends her time in a remarkable way? This isn't that book. And that's okay! I enjoyed this book...but I'm still on the hunt for that other book.
February 26, 2017
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Jane Austen’s England: Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods is a great resource for fans of Austen who want to know more about daily life in her time. This book is not concerned with the global or political situation in England during Austen’s lifetime except inasmuch as politics affected daily life. Instead, the book starts with how people married and proceeds through childhood, work and leisure, religion, crime, medicine, and death to paint a picture of English life.
This is not a biography of Jane Austen, but the authors often return to her letters, her novels, and moments in her life as they apply to the topic at hand. This helps anchor the book. Because the book quotes so often from people’s letters and journals, and refers to the specific lives of individuals, it feels personal and immediate. It describes the lives of the rich, the poor, and the in-between. It also describes life in the country as well as life in London.
If you are looking for information on topics like the events of Court or the troop movements in war, then this is not your book, although you might like the authors’ other books: The War for All the Oceans, Trafalgar, and Jack Tar. If, on the other hand, you too are captivated by Regency earache treatments, exactly how long a working-class person could put off getting married even after living with someone and having several babies, how often people washed their bedding, and the challenges of managing menstruation in dresses made of the lightest material possible with no underwear, then you will enjoy this book very much!
- Carrie S.
Jane Austen’s England: Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods is a great resource for fans of Austen who want to know more about daily life in her time. This book is not concerned with the global or political situation in England during Austen’s lifetime except inasmuch as politics affected daily life. Instead, the book starts with how people married and proceeds through childhood, work and leisure, religion, crime, medicine, and death to paint a picture of English life.
This is not a biography of Jane Austen, but the authors often return to her letters, her novels, and moments in her life as they apply to the topic at hand. This helps anchor the book. Because the book quotes so often from people’s letters and journals, and refers to the specific lives of individuals, it feels personal and immediate. It describes the lives of the rich, the poor, and the in-between. It also describes life in the country as well as life in London.
If you are looking for information on topics like the events of Court or the troop movements in war, then this is not your book, although you might like the authors’ other books: The War for All the Oceans, Trafalgar, and Jack Tar. If, on the other hand, you too are captivated by Regency earache treatments, exactly how long a working-class person could put off getting married even after living with someone and having several babies, how often people washed their bedding, and the challenges of managing menstruation in dresses made of the lightest material possible with no underwear, then you will enjoy this book very much!
- Carrie S.
August 5, 2013
This book was absolutely beyond fascinating. It takes a look into the England of Jane Austin's day, describing common practices, common problems, behavior, settings...everything and the kitchen sink. It's intelligent, often funny, always insightful. Reading this completely enriched my understanding of Austen-era novels but also provided insight into society of the time. Very well researched, very detailed, very, very worth reading. My only complaint is that my copy came through a giveway and doesn't have page numbers. When I inevitably use this for one of my classes or a paper, I'm going to need an official copy so I can quote it.
July 26, 2020
4.5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The set up works really well, going through all the major aspects of life from birth to death and all the in between with primary source quotes liberally used. It is well cited as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The set up works really well, going through all the major aspects of life from birth to death and all the in between with primary source quotes liberally used. It is well cited as well.
August 27, 2013
Jane Austen’s England by Roy Adkins and Lesley Adkins (Eavesdropping on Jane Austen’s England in the U.K.) is not the kind of book that will appeal to everybody, but for Janeites and English history buffs there is much to recommend it.
For the reader whose idea of the elegant world of Jane Austen has been drawn by film adaptations of her novels, the reality described by the Adkins might be dismaying. We see on screen the candlelit balls attended by women in beautiful gowns and men in powdered wigs. What we mercifully don’t experience is the smell of a crowded, hot room of physically active people who do not regularly bathe. Soap itself was a luxury for the rich and it was not the practice of even the gentry to immerse themselves in water.
Jane Austen’s England covers the years from about 1770 to 1820, bracketing Austen’s life by a few years. Georgian and Regency England were defined by a rigid class system. Austen writes of the gentry, mostly of the lower sort but occasionally the titled. The lower classes including the merchant class are seldom noticed and then usually dismissively, yet they were the bulk of the English people.
When Jane Austen was writing her novels, children were being maimed and deformed from working in mines and mills and as indentured farm laborers, people died from starvation, England was nearly constantly at war and the lower classes were heavily burdened with taxes to pay for them, and more than 220 offenses such as property theft and poaching were capital crimes. The hand of the government and the gentry was heavy upon the lower classes. Little of this appears in Austen’s works. Her audience was quite aware of the conditions of the times and the purpose of her novels was to entertain, not reform.
Jane Austen herself appears relatively little in this book although there are quotations from her novels and letters. Jane Austen’s England does address life and customs in that era from birth to burial practices including descriptions of homes, clothing, work and compensation, leisure activities, and medical treatments. Much of this information is given in the form of letters and diaries of various clergymen, newspaper articles, and reports from the courts.
The affairs of clergy figure heavily into the lives of Austen’s characters, from the unctuous buffoon Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice to the social-climbing Mr. Elton in Emma and to love interests of the protagonists such as Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey and Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility. Austen’s father was an Anglican rector. The Adkins give a most helpful explanation of the role of the clergy in Georgian society. When a clergyman, often the younger son of gentry, was “given a living” instead of “following a calling,” it meant just that. Being placed in a parish was essentially a financial arrangement done at the behest of a wealthy landowner or university. Laymen sometimes became the vicar of a parish as an investment, and hired curates to conduct the affairs of the church such as preaching and funerals. Some clergy were in possession of several livings and visited their parishes only once a year to collect tithes, originally in the form of crops and livestock but later as money. It’s no surprise, then, that Austen did not hold clergy in high esteem.
Jane Austen’s England is recommended for those interested in understanding the milieux apparent to Austen’s original readers and in gaining a better appreciation of the unspoken circumstances that flavor her novels. You will never read them the same way again.
For the reader whose idea of the elegant world of Jane Austen has been drawn by film adaptations of her novels, the reality described by the Adkins might be dismaying. We see on screen the candlelit balls attended by women in beautiful gowns and men in powdered wigs. What we mercifully don’t experience is the smell of a crowded, hot room of physically active people who do not regularly bathe. Soap itself was a luxury for the rich and it was not the practice of even the gentry to immerse themselves in water.
Jane Austen’s England covers the years from about 1770 to 1820, bracketing Austen’s life by a few years. Georgian and Regency England were defined by a rigid class system. Austen writes of the gentry, mostly of the lower sort but occasionally the titled. The lower classes including the merchant class are seldom noticed and then usually dismissively, yet they were the bulk of the English people.
When Jane Austen was writing her novels, children were being maimed and deformed from working in mines and mills and as indentured farm laborers, people died from starvation, England was nearly constantly at war and the lower classes were heavily burdened with taxes to pay for them, and more than 220 offenses such as property theft and poaching were capital crimes. The hand of the government and the gentry was heavy upon the lower classes. Little of this appears in Austen’s works. Her audience was quite aware of the conditions of the times and the purpose of her novels was to entertain, not reform.
Jane Austen herself appears relatively little in this book although there are quotations from her novels and letters. Jane Austen’s England does address life and customs in that era from birth to burial practices including descriptions of homes, clothing, work and compensation, leisure activities, and medical treatments. Much of this information is given in the form of letters and diaries of various clergymen, newspaper articles, and reports from the courts.
The affairs of clergy figure heavily into the lives of Austen’s characters, from the unctuous buffoon Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice to the social-climbing Mr. Elton in Emma and to love interests of the protagonists such as Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey and Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility. Austen’s father was an Anglican rector. The Adkins give a most helpful explanation of the role of the clergy in Georgian society. When a clergyman, often the younger son of gentry, was “given a living” instead of “following a calling,” it meant just that. Being placed in a parish was essentially a financial arrangement done at the behest of a wealthy landowner or university. Laymen sometimes became the vicar of a parish as an investment, and hired curates to conduct the affairs of the church such as preaching and funerals. Some clergy were in possession of several livings and visited their parishes only once a year to collect tithes, originally in the form of crops and livestock but later as money. It’s no surprise, then, that Austen did not hold clergy in high esteem.
Jane Austen’s England is recommended for those interested in understanding the milieux apparent to Austen’s original readers and in gaining a better appreciation of the unspoken circumstances that flavor her novels. You will never read them the same way again.
April 15, 2016
I picked this one up for research purposes that focused on daily Georgian Era life. And for what I wanted, it was very helpful. That it included bits about Jane Austen's life? Bonus.
The book's chapters are sorted by topic and takes the natural beginning of birth and follows that through to the last chapter on death. I appreciated the approach the authors' took in that it wasn't dry and pedantic.
Even though this is non-fiction, there were protagonists of a sort. The authors chose a handful of people who existed at the time in various walks of life- a governess, a clergyman, an impoverished gentleman, a couple foreign travelers, a gentle lady, etc- and used their letters and journals to share their experiences of the topic that was being discussed. I thought it was a great way to learn about the life of the times.
And instead of just tackling a topic and spitting out lots of research, there is a conversational tone. Now, this tone did not romanticize life in those times. Not at all. For example, the chapter on child birth and marriage talks of grave situations when people had a child out of wedlock and how the law came down hard on this. I cringed through the discussions of the conditions of the inns, primitive plumbing, medical and mental issues, crime & punishment, the affects of war and famine, and well, pretty much most of the topics because it was hard times.
But it wasn't just the same ol' stuff. It was fairly comprehensive from cricket-playing miners to traveling by canal boat.
This book focused on the average person's life and not so much that of the privilege few at the top. It didn't just discuss the facts of the life, but the perceptions, too. It was interesting to compare opinion of then with the general opinion of contemporary times.
As to the Jane Austen connection, she was the main 'character' tie-in through each chapter. There were references to her and her family's lives, but her letters were a main source for the authors, too. In some ways her thinking was innovative and compared to the two gentlemen who traveled a great deal from their respective homes in America and Germany- which is something because she lived rather sheltered. But, in other ways, she was a product of her times.
Beyond the topical chapters, the book also features illustrations, charts, index, and bibliography which are great sources in and of themselves.
All in all, I was pleased with the book for what I needed. I think that the armchair scholar would probably enjoy it and its a nice all-round source to create a background rather than a detailed picture.
The book's chapters are sorted by topic and takes the natural beginning of birth and follows that through to the last chapter on death. I appreciated the approach the authors' took in that it wasn't dry and pedantic.
Even though this is non-fiction, there were protagonists of a sort. The authors chose a handful of people who existed at the time in various walks of life- a governess, a clergyman, an impoverished gentleman, a couple foreign travelers, a gentle lady, etc- and used their letters and journals to share their experiences of the topic that was being discussed. I thought it was a great way to learn about the life of the times.
And instead of just tackling a topic and spitting out lots of research, there is a conversational tone. Now, this tone did not romanticize life in those times. Not at all. For example, the chapter on child birth and marriage talks of grave situations when people had a child out of wedlock and how the law came down hard on this. I cringed through the discussions of the conditions of the inns, primitive plumbing, medical and mental issues, crime & punishment, the affects of war and famine, and well, pretty much most of the topics because it was hard times.
But it wasn't just the same ol' stuff. It was fairly comprehensive from cricket-playing miners to traveling by canal boat.
This book focused on the average person's life and not so much that of the privilege few at the top. It didn't just discuss the facts of the life, but the perceptions, too. It was interesting to compare opinion of then with the general opinion of contemporary times.
As to the Jane Austen connection, she was the main 'character' tie-in through each chapter. There were references to her and her family's lives, but her letters were a main source for the authors, too. In some ways her thinking was innovative and compared to the two gentlemen who traveled a great deal from their respective homes in America and Germany- which is something because she lived rather sheltered. But, in other ways, she was a product of her times.
Beyond the topical chapters, the book also features illustrations, charts, index, and bibliography which are great sources in and of themselves.
All in all, I was pleased with the book for what I needed. I think that the armchair scholar would probably enjoy it and its a nice all-round source to create a background rather than a detailed picture.
September 14, 2013
'Jane Austen's England' is some of the most readable nonfiction that I have encountered. Lacking that textbook feel so common in nonfiction, this book draws the reader in, educating and entertaining at the same time. Jane Austen's novels tend to focus on the upper class in England near the turn of the 19th century, but this book broadens the reader's knowledge of the common person's experience living in Jane Austen's time.
Chapters are broken up into particular areas of life, such as childhood, work, health, fashion, religion and death. The author quotes innumerable sources for contemporary views on each topic. Some excerpts are humorous, others sorrowful. Each brings a little bit of the late 1700s and early 1800s to life.
This book also includes a series of helpful maps, index on weights and measures, a chronological overview, vast endnotes, and lengthy bibliography.
Though this book is not a biography of Jane Austen or completely focused on her work, lines from her novels are included as well as portions of letters that she wrote and other information about her life. Her insistence upon accuracy in her novels led to a very telling picture of a small section of society at the time. 'Jane Austen's England' gives us entrance into the rest of it.
Many Jane Austen fans will enjoy this book for its ability to place the reader inside her world. Others may be turned off by the reality of the common man that does not turn up much in her depictions of those with a set annual income. It is a must read for those interested in this era of history and a valuable resource for anyone writing about this period.
* I received this book as an advance uncorrected proof copy from the publisher for review purposes.
Chapters are broken up into particular areas of life, such as childhood, work, health, fashion, religion and death. The author quotes innumerable sources for contemporary views on each topic. Some excerpts are humorous, others sorrowful. Each brings a little bit of the late 1700s and early 1800s to life.
This book also includes a series of helpful maps, index on weights and measures, a chronological overview, vast endnotes, and lengthy bibliography.
Though this book is not a biography of Jane Austen or completely focused on her work, lines from her novels are included as well as portions of letters that she wrote and other information about her life. Her insistence upon accuracy in her novels led to a very telling picture of a small section of society at the time. 'Jane Austen's England' gives us entrance into the rest of it.
Many Jane Austen fans will enjoy this book for its ability to place the reader inside her world. Others may be turned off by the reality of the common man that does not turn up much in her depictions of those with a set annual income. It is a must read for those interested in this era of history and a valuable resource for anyone writing about this period.
* I received this book as an advance uncorrected proof copy from the publisher for review purposes.
October 6, 2013
Jane Austen's England covers life in the Georgian era from birth to death. The authors use letters, diaries and other period sources to describe how the common people REALLY lived. Far from the genteel world of the drawing rooms of Jane Austen's novels, The England portrayed in this novel is dark, dirty, diseased and at times crude. The authors nicely balance "period drama" world that we love to romanticize with the world of the common people. They cover the lives of the gentry and the aristocrats but also explain the difficulties of trying to survive as a common working man or woman. The chapters cover everything from etiquette, advice and fashion to disease and death. I especially liked the extensive quotes from period sources to show that the authors did their own original research. At times this book was really slow and relied on quotes that were far too long. I knew a lot of this information already from reading other books about Jane Austen's life and times and also from blogs. I do feel I learned a lot though. The language is fairly accessible to non-scholars but the use of primary sources may be daunting to some. I would recommend this book to those who have a serious interest in learning more about Georgian England.
January 7, 2016
A tour through the England that existed during the time of novelist Jane Austen's life. And it touches on such diverse subjects as hygiene, transportation, religion, work, travel, etc. The authors (husband and wife) give equal attention to the rich and the poor and how each class lived during this period when the class system was very well defined and very restrictive. It also is rather depressing, since the hardships of the poor, especially the children of the poor, were almost beyond imagining and they had little or no chance of raising themselves up.
What caused me to give the book a little bit lower rating than it may have deserved is the overuse of quotations from diaries and letters, not only from Jane Austen but also from several other sources. I felt it disrupted the narrative substantially.
So, the next time you watch the film Sense and Sensibility and see all those perfect teeth and spotless homes, remember, even the upper classes had rotten teeth, seldom bathed or washed their hair, and smelled like a cesspool. It is not a pretty picture!!
What caused me to give the book a little bit lower rating than it may have deserved is the overuse of quotations from diaries and letters, not only from Jane Austen but also from several other sources. I felt it disrupted the narrative substantially.
So, the next time you watch the film Sense and Sensibility and see all those perfect teeth and spotless homes, remember, even the upper classes had rotten teeth, seldom bathed or washed their hair, and smelled like a cesspool. It is not a pretty picture!!
July 23, 2020
One of my brothers got me this book for Christmas or my birthday- I can't remember which because they are close together.
It's an excellent reference book on Regency England! I already knew a lot of the information as I read which made me happy because it showed that I have retained the information I have been studying over the last few decades about Austen and her time! Still in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn about the Regency Era! It is very detailed with lots of first hand accounts!
It's an excellent reference book on Regency England! I already knew a lot of the information as I read which made me happy because it showed that I have retained the information I have been studying over the last few decades about Austen and her time! Still in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn about the Regency Era! It is very detailed with lots of first hand accounts!
April 14, 2017
A bit anticlimactic, since I've read a number of Austen non-fiction recently. I feel like they skimped on providing examples from Austen's books when bringing up historical facts. The organization was strange. The chapters were organized into topics that moved chronologically from marriage to death, which was fine, but within the chapters the narrative veered all over the place. The authors should have grouped information within subsections.
September 23, 2020
Very well researched. Great use of primary sources - letters, diaries, newspaper articles, etc. I really liked that the authors chose 3 or 4 people from the time to focus on - it made the history feel more personal and alive.
April 3, 2020
A fantastic look at Jane Austen's England, though the eyes and words of real people. A great read for anyone new to the period!
May 25, 2022
Would be very useful for anyone writing regency romances. For those of us not doing that this is a very interesting book for reading in the bath.
February 26, 2014
Highly recommended, especially for lovers of Jane Austen, but also for readers of Regency romances and historical novels of the period. This book covers a lot of things that don't make it into the novels, like the appalling state of medicine and law at the time. Using quotes from diaries of the period, the authors illuminate the life of the time.
Chapters are: Wedding bells -- Breeding -- Toddler to teenager -- Home and hearth -- Fashions and filth -- Sermons and superstitions -- Wealth and work -- Leisure and pleasure -- On the move -- Dark deeds -- Medicine men -- Last words. There are also several maps, a chart of Weights and Measures, a Chronological Overview of Jane Austen's life and episodes in British history from the ascension of George III to the British throne in 1760 to the publication of Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon in 1925.
Chapters are: Wedding bells -- Breeding -- Toddler to teenager -- Home and hearth -- Fashions and filth -- Sermons and superstitions -- Wealth and work -- Leisure and pleasure -- On the move -- Dark deeds -- Medicine men -- Last words. There are also several maps, a chart of Weights and Measures, a Chronological Overview of Jane Austen's life and episodes in British history from the ascension of George III to the British throne in 1760 to the publication of Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon in 1925.
September 27, 2013
This book would be a wonderful addition to the library of any fan of not just Jane Austen but of any 18th or 19th century novelist. While reading this book I actually developed a deeper insight into the novels of Victorian writers than those of Jane Austen, most likely because she did not include the lower classes in her books. A wife and child being sold, the unhappiness created by marriage out of one's class, extreme poverty, and child labor were more within the realm of Hardy, Gaskell or Dickens.
Roy and Leslie Adkins cover every aspect of life from birth to death and it will certainly cure the romantic yearnings of those who dream of having been born in the days of long gowns and footmen.
Roy and Leslie Adkins cover every aspect of life from birth to death and it will certainly cure the romantic yearnings of those who dream of having been born in the days of long gowns and footmen.
September 13, 2013
I enjoyed reading this, although it wasn't as radical as I thought it would be. Anyone who's read David Nokes' autobiography is well aware of how much of a struggle it was for Jane Austen's family to keep up appearances when they were constantly worried about money.
It has some really good information, though. The section about the chimney sweeps was really good as were many of the sections. I think probably it's a very good starting point for those who are coming new to the Regency Period. I would whole heartedly recommend it as one of the first books to read if you want to know more about the Regency than what the costume dramas tell you.
It has some really good information, though. The section about the chimney sweeps was really good as were many of the sections. I think probably it's a very good starting point for those who are coming new to the Regency Period. I would whole heartedly recommend it as one of the first books to read if you want to know more about the Regency than what the costume dramas tell you.
October 20, 2016
Not as readable as the other books I've read about the late-Georgian and Regency eras. The authors used several contemporary diaries and memoirs as source material, and a few issues, not being mentioned in those sources, are skimmed over with little explanation. However, this does offer more information about the lives of the poor and working poor than the other references I've read.
April 11, 2015
A look at the social history around the time of Jane Austen. The book uses Austen's life and letters, but also diaries and letters of a group of other, non-famous people to illuminate different aspects of the period.
October 2, 2013
I would give this 4.5 stars. It's a fascinating treasure trove of information on English culture and social customs during Jane Austen's lifetime, the late Georgian and Regency periods.
October 20, 2013
Excellent social history.
For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/64... .
For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/64... .
October 9, 2025
This is an interesting read if you want more context for what living in England was like during Jane Austen's lifetime (AKA from the 1770s to the 1810s). it focuses on England and daily life more than the general geopolitics at the time, so don't expect a detailed overview of the French or American revolutions, but do expect to learn what pattons are and about the general structure of the English clergy system.
Occasionally the way information was presented in this book felt as though the authors expected the reader to have a certain background in UK history that I don't necessarily have (for instance I had to look up what the dissolution of the monasteries was when it was offhandedly mentioned), but overall I thought most things were well-explained.
Another quibble is that the authors seemed to shy away from certain topics, specifically sexuality/LGBT+ topics and race - they mention both very briefly, but it felt like they didn't actually want to delve into those topics and just mentioned them to kind of check off the box. like, on the same page where we establish that yes, English people did not approve of gay people in this era, they also mention "oh and also bestiality was a crime. here's a diary entry from a guy who had to dismiss one of his servants due to him being guilty of bestiality. anyway next chapter!" The discussion of race is similarly awkward and brief - "yeah some people were racist but also people hated each other for lots of other reasons, as seen in this letter excerpt, so...anyway!"
the goal of this book obviously isn't to be an in-depth exploration of LGBT issues or racism in this era of England, but it was almost more annoying to have these paltry discussions thrown out than to have these issues not mentioned at all. but hey, this made me want to keep an eye out for nonfiction history books that DO focus more specifically on those topics, so i'll just have to keep that in mind for future.
that annoyance aside, i do think there's a lot of interesting info in here, and it could be a good starting point for anyone looking for a better understanding of the era in which Jane Austen's books were written. i found it to be an interesting follow-up to Ruth Goodman's How To Be A Victorian, since it covers the time directly before the Victorian era.
another note for my personal reading is that while I find nonfiction books about historical daily life very interesting and will continue to seek them out, I also wouldn't mind having at least a broad-strokes understanding of the political happenings at the time, so maybe that's another thing to add to my list for future, to help further contextualize the details of daily life and whatnot. this book does mention political events and legislation (like how the punishments for fairly petty crimes could be very harsh in the 18th century) but the non-chronological nature of the book makes it a bit hard to piece together how things progress. And things like the Napoleonic wars are still very much in the background, FYI.
This book also pulls heavily from extant journals and letters from this era (including jane austen herself, who is absolutely hilarious) so that's fun. there are 3-4 especially prolific journalers who are brought up a lot, and it's kind of fun to be like "Ooh, another Woodforde journal excerpt! what did he think about this?" as you're reading.
Occasionally the way information was presented in this book felt as though the authors expected the reader to have a certain background in UK history that I don't necessarily have (for instance I had to look up what the dissolution of the monasteries was when it was offhandedly mentioned), but overall I thought most things were well-explained.
Another quibble is that the authors seemed to shy away from certain topics, specifically sexuality/LGBT+ topics and race - they mention both very briefly, but it felt like they didn't actually want to delve into those topics and just mentioned them to kind of check off the box. like, on the same page where we establish that yes, English people did not approve of gay people in this era, they also mention "oh and also bestiality was a crime. here's a diary entry from a guy who had to dismiss one of his servants due to him being guilty of bestiality. anyway next chapter!" The discussion of race is similarly awkward and brief - "yeah some people were racist but also people hated each other for lots of other reasons, as seen in this letter excerpt, so...anyway!"
the goal of this book obviously isn't to be an in-depth exploration of LGBT issues or racism in this era of England, but it was almost more annoying to have these paltry discussions thrown out than to have these issues not mentioned at all. but hey, this made me want to keep an eye out for nonfiction history books that DO focus more specifically on those topics, so i'll just have to keep that in mind for future.
that annoyance aside, i do think there's a lot of interesting info in here, and it could be a good starting point for anyone looking for a better understanding of the era in which Jane Austen's books were written. i found it to be an interesting follow-up to Ruth Goodman's How To Be A Victorian, since it covers the time directly before the Victorian era.
another note for my personal reading is that while I find nonfiction books about historical daily life very interesting and will continue to seek them out, I also wouldn't mind having at least a broad-strokes understanding of the political happenings at the time, so maybe that's another thing to add to my list for future, to help further contextualize the details of daily life and whatnot. this book does mention political events and legislation (like how the punishments for fairly petty crimes could be very harsh in the 18th century) but the non-chronological nature of the book makes it a bit hard to piece together how things progress. And things like the Napoleonic wars are still very much in the background, FYI.
This book also pulls heavily from extant journals and letters from this era (including jane austen herself, who is absolutely hilarious) so that's fun. there are 3-4 especially prolific journalers who are brought up a lot, and it's kind of fun to be like "Ooh, another Woodforde journal excerpt! what did he think about this?" as you're reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews