Victorious Century: The United Kingdom, 1800-1906

Penguin History of Britain #8

by David Cannadine

To live in nineteenth-century Britain was to experience an astonishing series of changes, of a kind for which there was simply no precedent in the human experience. There were revolutions in transport, communication, work; cities grew vast; scientific ideas made the intellectual landscape unrecognizable. This was an exhilarating time, but also a horrifying one.

In his dazzling new book David Cannadine has created a bold, fascinating new interpretation of the British nineteenth century in all its energy and dynamism, darkness and vice. This was a country which saw itself at the summit of the world. And yet it was a society also convulsed by doubt, fear and introspection. Repeatedly, politicians and writers felt themselves to be staring into the abyss and what is seen sometimes seen as an era of irritating self-belief was in practice obsessed by a sense of its own fragility, whether as a great power or as a moral force.

Victorious Century is an extraordinarily enjoyable book - its author catches the relish, humour and theatricality of the age, but also the dilemmas of a kind with which we remain familiar today. It reframes a time at once strangely familiar and yet wholly unlike our own.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, British Literature, Victorian, 19th Century, Audiobook

602 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2017

About the author

Sir David Cannadine FBA FRSL FSA FRHistS is a British author and historian, who specialises in modern history and the history of business and philanthropy.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

High Potential

Victorious Century is both epic in its history and achievement. Sir David Cannadine covers the history of the United Kingdom from 1800 and the Act of Union to the 1906 landslide victory of the Liberal Party. This period is often celebrated as the pinnacle of British power and influence. He explains how this is an important point to stop, as the political establishment thought it was the end of an era and the world was going to implode. As the events of the 20th Century unfolded, this event has been pushed to the sidelines and feels all but insignificant. Cannadine is a distinguished historian, who offers a narrative that is as detailed as it is nuanced, capturing the complexities and contradictions of an era that saw Britain rise to global preeminence.

Probably my favourite aspect of Victorious Century's is the broad and far reaching scope. Cannadine explains the political and social makeup of the country and the policy which tried and often failed to make change. He describes the important statesmen alongside the destitution of the poor and their truly horrid condition. He covers a wide range of topics, from politics and empire to social changes and cultural developments. He masterfully interweaves the grand narratives of British history, such as the growth of the British Empire, the Industrial Revolution, and the struggles over reform with the subtler, often overlooked aspects of the period. His attention to detail is evident in his discussion of everything from parliamentary reforms to the shifting social dynamics of Victorian society.

Cannadine’s writing is engaging, clear and accessible, meaning that if you’re not familiar with the period then you will still be able to follow the book. For those of you who are experts in British history, the richness of the information provided is still deeply rewarding and I guarantee there’ll be still something you can take away from this book. Cannadine avoids the pitfalls of excessive nostalgia or triumphalism, instead offering a balanced account that acknowledges both the achievements and the darker aspects of Britain’s Victorious Century, such as the exploitation inherent in the empire and the social inequalities that persisted despite economic growth.

As I have mentioned above, the best part about Victorious Century is Cannadine's ability to provide a cohesive narrative across such a broad and dynamic period. He successfully ties together the disparate threads of 19th Century British history, illustrating how political, social, and economic developments were interconnected. His analysis is incisive, often providing fresh perspectives on well-trodden historical ground. However, the book's ambition is also its potential drawback. The breadth of topics covered means that some areas may feel underdeveloped, particularly for readers with a specific interest in a particular aspect of the era. Moreover, while Cannadine's approach is generally even-handed, his emphasis on certain figures and events may lead some readers to question the relative neglect of other important but less celebrated aspects of the century.

To conclude, Victorious Century is a monumental work that offers a rich, detailed, and balanced overview of 19th Century Britain. As the United Kingdom was at its peek during this period and the nation was built, it is a time to look back, remember and even learn from, however as Cannadine explains, it we should not look at this fascinating period of history through rose tinted glasses as there were many horrors, rioting, famine and deadly disease were always knocking on the front door. Cannadine is an excellent writer and I am excited to read some of his other work.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking at its starting point the passing of the Act of Union in 1800, and ending with the general election of 1906 and a landslide, Liberal victory, this is very much a political history of the nineteenth century. That is not to say that the author does not take into account everything about this time of great challenges and change, but David Cannadine puts politics central to the story and, so, this is less a popular history book and more a thoughtful and detailed account of a fascinating period of history from a political perspective and, although world history is obviously involved, as is the Empire, it is told with the emphasis on how events affected, or were affected by, the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom comes into an uneasy beginning at the start of this book, with Ireland being bribed and coerced into joining the Union. Catholic Emancipation would remain an unsettling – and unresolved – issue through this period, with the possibility of a Roman Catholic parliament possibly allying with France, which had recently undergone revolution. However, by 1802, visits had been resumed between France and the UK, before the Anglo-French struggle resumed in 1802, with Napolean resolving to defeat this, “nation of shopkeepers…” With great, British understatement, Wellington described the Battle of Waterloo as, “the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life…”

Although this was a period of huge, tumultuous political change, life for most people was a harsh struggle. The population was expanding, becoming more urbanised with the industrial revolution and a more unequal society. Although, the UK was become connected with many parts of the world as a trading nation, or imperial power, the reality for most was slum housing and depression. Some of the statistics are truly shocking. For example, in 1841 the national life expectancy was forty. In Manchester and Liverpool, though, it was just twenty eight…

Although I would not classify this as an easy read, it is engrossing. Cannadine covers everything – from Queen Victoria’s relationship with her ministers, Chartism, the Corn Laws, the Great Exhibition and more. However, this is not only a political history and he does cast his eye over literature, art, architecture and other important influences of the day. A very detailed and well researched account of a period of history, with UK politics firmly at the centre of the story.

[Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revising my initial review. The title is somewhat misleading. The entire book and yes I mean the entire book is focused on the history of parliamentary affairs during this period. Scarcely are any tidbits of non parliamentary information inked out. If Cannadine had titled it "Parliamentary Affairs of the United Kingdom from 1800-1906" I wouldn't have had any issue at all with the book. That said, he probably would not have sold as many copies. If you're looking for a book that can effectively cover over a century of a country I would recommend the Fatal Shore. If you love British politics though, Cannadine's book is for you.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victorious Century – A Masterpiece of 19th Century British History

Professor David Cannadine has written one of the best overviews of the nineteenth century history from the British perspective. The nineteenth century saw such astonishing changes, at that time had no precedent, this was an exciting time to be alive juxtaposed by also being awful if you were not one of the successful people.

Victorious Century is not the only history published recently on the nineteenth century, and many more will be published in years to come. What we get as the prologue tells us is something different, from the other histories that are available. The scholarship in this book shows why Professor Cannadine is one of the world’s top academics on this period of history. This book tells us Britain’s history in comprehensive detail and that is what makes it so good.

What Cannadine does do it look at different dates to help define the century rather than the age-old chronology that other books deliver. Starting and ending with domestic history and while the Napoleonic Wars are there they are not a detailed study as he begins his intensive detailed explanation of the events from 1815. There are plenty of facts in this book, so much I learnt or reinforced facts I had forgotten, but they are dealt with in such a way that the general reader will enjoy this book. For students, this is an excellent background reading for ideas and questions for further study on nineteenth century British history.

This book reminds you that historical events do not happen in glorious isolation, and those effects sometimes can still be felt today. Beginning with the Act of Union with Ireland through to the General Election of 1906 we see some of the massive changes Britain underwent. It must also be remembered that after 1945 when, correctly, the dismantling of the Empire began, but the nationalist movements started in the later nineteenth century, when those agitators were denounced or simply disregarded.

It is without doubt that between 1800 and the 1900 Britain was witness to so many extraordinary and traumatic changes, and these were expressed in many different ways, through art, poetry and prose. Cannadine takes the reader through this in a fascinating and illuminating way, this book has been written with passion and knowledge. Cannadine has brought out how extraordinary the British were, how industrious, creative and vigorous, while at the same time flawed and fallible.

This really is a masterpiece of nineteenth century British history.

[Marks54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a history of the United Kingdom from 1800 to 1906 and is the latest volume in the Penguin History of Britain series. It is well written and entertaining and moves along fairly well - which is no mean accomplishment if one considers all that was happening in Victorian Britain. The book begins with the legal establishment of the United Kingdom through the inclusion of Ireland. The book ends in 1906 with the Liberal Election victory and the passing of the 100 year anniversary of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar.

In its focus, this is a classic approach to history that focuses on politics and the evolution of the modern parliamentary system, even as the British Monarchy became more ceremonial. This is the century of the expansion of the Industrial Revolution, the fight against revolutionary ideology in Europe, the growth of the British Empire, the consolidation of modern Germany under Bismarck, and the falling apart of the Congress system, setting the stage for the coming of the First World War.

I am sympathetic to an effort to craft a book like this. Everyone is a would be critic and lots of readers know just enough of this history to stake out a perspective of their own. Yet it is important for someone to try to tell the broad story, subject to the constraints of a disciplined approach to the material that respects “the facts” and what others have done and yet leaves room for evolving judgment. A good part of history always involves looking backward and that always leaves room for newer interpretations. I also greatly appreciate the author’s choice to stop and take stock of the story of Britain before the beginning of two world wars that changed things forever. With all that has been written about WW1 in the past few years, the role of the war will not be neglected. However, the state of Britain before the wars and some thoughts about paths not taken is valuable to me.

Britain is also a wonderful place to visit, especially for a history buff. Wondering about London (or other cities there) is for me a continuing process of trying to see how some historical area developed from what it was like when it was famous to what it has become today. There are certainly specific accounts and local guides that can be consulted, but it is harder to get of sense of how the country developed over this time period. For example, in 1800, the life expectancy of a male in London was under 40 years and since then it has doubled. Most of the people I know have little or no way of knowing what such a world was like, even as they read and enjoy Charles Dickens. Professor Cannadine does a marvelous job of fitting in the classic and lesser known British authors and their stories into his grand narrative. It is breathtaking to realize that he has likely forgotten more about England than I know. Thankfully, he remembered quite a bit as well and does a good job into telling a fine story in this wonderful book.

[Brian Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sterling account of the long nineteenth century, which focuses primarily on the jostling of Parliamentary politics and the socioeconomic causes and impacts of the legislative process.

Cannadine, a renowned historian, covers all the various prime ministers (there are about a dozen and they seem to come in and out sometimes in a matter of months - the Parliament was often "hung" at various points in this century). Several exceptionally successful PMs dominate the pages of this "Victoria's Century", but so do the underlying causes of the decline of the British Empire by the end of the century. The first third (until 1832) is covered by the impact of the Napoleonic Wars, the Regency, and the growing demand for electoral and economic reform. The middle third introduces Victoria (but doesn't overemphasize her) as well as the twin titans of the Prime Ministership in Gladstone and Disraeli. The final third looks at the extension of the British Empire into the corners of the globe, as well as the complicated legacies that those imperialistic strivings led to, not least the Boer War, revolt in India, and the dark corners of domestic poverty.

If you are looking for a book on the political history of Britain in the 19th century, heavy focus on Parliament, this is your book.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Cannadine's sweeping survey of British history from the Act of Union (1800) to the election of Campbell-Bannerman's Liberals (1906) gives the impression of containing everything. While his narrative is largely concentrated in the halls of power with the triumphs and tribulations of Queen Victoria, Gladstone, Disraeli, Joseph Chamberlain and figures of similar significance, some of the most memorable moments in Victorious Century are to be found in Cannadine's digressions. From Gilbert and Sullivan to Cadbury's chocolate, Nelson's Column and the first Pan-African Congress, the author clearly intends to leave no stone unturned in telling the story of late Georgian and Victorian Britain.
The absence of a fifth star in my rating is a result of some confusion surrounding Cannadine's intentions. For the reason mentioned above, Victorious Century reads like a comprehensive, encyclopaedic study of the period. However, the author's decision to open and end the book with events that are firmly political (as opposed to a matter of social history or any other related field), coupled with the book's focus on key individuals - the monarchs, prime ministers and so on - suggests that the breadth of Cannadine's survey isn't the most purposeful. The digressions do, however, make it a very enjoyable read.

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Cannadine's Victorious Century is a dense, flawed political history of Victorian Britain spanning from the Act of Union with Ireland to the Liberal Party's large electoral victory in 1906. The book is a the most recent entry in Penguin's History of Britain series. Cannadine's book showcases Victorian Britain as a country that was able to take advantage of certain natural resources, geopolitical turmoil and competitive economic circumstances to control vast portions of the globe on a limited budget and operate largely without a grand imperial design. Similar to several of the entries in Penguin's History of Europe series, Cannadine's book is built around a chronological/thematic hybrid that unfortunately does not always work.

Part of the reason is that the book is at times feels resolutely old-fashioned in its methodology. This is a "history from above" which spends pages detailing the minutiae of various governments and political figures, including party leaders and colonial secretaries. Most of the viewpoints Cannadine's book accrues of the classes below the aristocracy are largely reflected from the perspective of those in charge: landowners, aristocrats, monarchs and other elites. It is thus a book that for long stretches is short on analysis of social and economic conditions and long on the efforts of politicians to remedy societal concerns using piecemeal strategies.

While the book has been rightly praised for its level of detail, I have to completely agree with the criticisms of one of its biggest critics, the esteemed historian Richard J. Evans, who has chided the book for its lack of analytical study in favour of a myriad of encyclopedic facts about laws and lawmakers, which fail to provide a rich insight into what life was truly like in Victorian Britain. Consequently, the figures Cannadine wants to elevate end up feeling remarkably flat. And unlike Evans' Pursuit of Power and Tim Blanning's Pursuit of Glory (in Penguin's Europe series) the historical method employed by Cannadine does not appear robust enough to incorporate the type of socio-cultural insights that are largely de rigeur in recent single volume overviews of a specific period.

Consequently, in the midst of Cannadine's voluminous assessments of political chicanery, much of the period's socio-economic and cultural details are lost. For example, it is remarkable for a book that covers a period in which Britain's economic strength was markedly increased by the advent of modern industrialization, there is surprisingly very little insight into the conditions that allowed this to occur beyond sheer geographical luck. The overlapping roles of technology and science in this development are insufficiently touched upon, despite the importance stressed on them in other recent historical texts (i.e. Sven Beckert's Empire of Cotton) that cover the Victorian period.

Although Cannadine acknowledges that British manufacturers were among the worst educated in western Europe, there is little to explain how they were able to adequately harness the resources at their disposal to develop influential new technologies, transportation networks and systems of operation. There is almost no references to how the upheaval of industrialization or colonization outside of Britain affected the environment or living conditions. Additionally, the daily lives of the working classes and ordinary women are largely ignored.

Cannadine notes that church attendance had begun to decline in the mid-19th century and yet surprisingly for a period known for its conservative moralizing, issues of gender and social behaviour are often absent from the text. In the book's final chapter, prior to the epilogue, Cannadine attempts to squeeze many of these forgotten aspects into the last pages in a rather rushed effort. As Evans has noted Cannadine's application of demographic data also appears to be askew.

Although Cannadine often presents Britain's colonial and domestic policies as being haphazard at best and lacking in a grand design, "Victorious Century" works best when Cannadine primarily focuses on thematic aspects centered around how Britain was able to exploit its fortunate circumstances . This results in Britain having numerous advantages compared to its continental peers: the lack of need for a costly, large standing army to thwart invasion, the fragmentation of Europe following the Napoleonic Wars prior to the advent of nationalism, the development of an exceptional navy to protect far-flung territories and control trade, the ability to use colonial armies funded by non-British entities, and Britain's fortuitous access to low-cost water and carbon energy products necessary for the application of steam engines, gas lighting, steamships and machine propulsion.

While Cannadine does not go into great detail, he appears to infer that Britain potentially avoided much of the socio-political disruption occurring on the continent in part due to its (limited)
system of democracy and its (then current and former) English-speaking settler colonies (i.e. Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the U.S.) acting as a safety valve to release tension by enabling disaffected parties and undesirables to leave Britain via emigration or transportation.

Cannadine astutely emphasizes the manner in which Britain essentially privatized and subcontracted portions of its colonial apparatuses through a haphazard and incoherent colonial policy Cannadine terms "empire on the cheap." Consequently, what he presents is a country that reluctantly became a large imperial power: one that began to annex territory that has been acquired by private companies or individuals which had verged on collapse and thus required state support to maintain economic and political influence. Cannadine also skillfully weaves in the notion that Britain's late 19th century colonial acquisitions during the Long Depression, were less about prestige, and more about the fear of missing out on future economic spoils.

The highpoint of the era for Cannadine may as well be the period around the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace, which blends the themes of imperial wealth, industrial might and global prestige. Despite Britain's ability to produce vast quantities of cheap manufactured exports for global markets well into the late 19th century, Britain's rather complacent approach results in its increasing loss of global influence. Cannadine patiently presents this incremental decline in a strong manner as he entwines a number of factors including the rise of German and American manufacturing rivals, the increasing sums spent on colonial investments and security arrangements (despite a decline in trade and political influence) and other countries calling Britain's bluff on the nature of its power and force.

In spite of its flaws, Cannadine's book will probably remain the contemporaneous single volume standard for some time on the period. Despite its sometimes plodding nature, it is well written and it is at times astutely executed. Nevertheless, this is a work that would greatly benefit from incorporating a more analytical lens, particularly of social, economic and cultural matters that affected both Britain and its imperial territories. Buried beneath the voluminous passages of facts, there is a more interesting work here that routinely pokes through. That book seems to portray Victorian Britain as a land blessed by geographical fortune and luck for the first half of the century, but ultimately undone by its laissez-faire attitude towards its responsibilities and an exaggerated opinion of its own strength by the time the 20th century had begun

3.5/5

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone attempting to write a historical fantasy novel, I figured it was a good idea to read a book about the history of the country where I am writing the novel. David Cannadine walks the reader through the large parliamentary drama and laws that were passed from 1800-1906. As an American, a lot of the names and titles were new to me, but it was fascinating to see how politics really hadn't changed. A bunch of rich men with big egos determining how much everyone underneath them suffers or thrives.

I did see one review that stated this should have been called a review of Parliament from 1800-1906 and I think that’s fair. The parts of this novel I enjoyed the most were the discussions of how the United Kingdom and the people in it changed from year to year. There was a part of each chapter about the art that was being made and new inventions that were changing daily life. However, most of the words in this book were used to discuss the laws and drama happening between the members of Parliament during these years. As an American, it was pretty fascinating to get a look into how Parliament works as well as some of the biggest players during this century. It was also a drawback as there were so many Lords, Earls, Viceroys, and some individuals holding a different title every time they were in Parliament, it was difficult to keep them all straight. There were also a number that were named, but in the end, weren’t extremely important players in government during their time as part of the cabinet.

I cannot critique the actual information included in the novel, but I do think that a better balance could have been struck between the Parliament information and other major events that shaped the United Kingdom during this time period. While the royal family and Queen Victoria get some page time, all the references are in regard to how it affected the governing body rather than the country at large. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s mourning of him was little more than a footnote. The Potato Famine got even less information than all the Irish people it killed. While I have a much better basis of how much work it took for some of the more progressive laws to get passed, there is very little information about how the world outside Parliament changed aside from small glimpses. I would have liked more information about the lives of the individuals in the Empire at large.

Overall this is a good overview of the governing body in the British Empire from 1800-1906, but gives only vague information about the people of the Empire during that time. This is very helpful information for giving me an idea of the political climate for my novel, I don’t think is going to be super interesting to someone who isn’t reading this for research purposes. A 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

I will say up front that I am not a big fan of political history, which is what this very erudite tome is, covering the very long Victorian period from 1800 to 1906 to give context to the birth and the death of the age.

No-one could dispute the breadth and depth of Cannadine’s knowledge of the subject, and the sheer scale of this book leaves me rather awestruck. It is very well written, though it’s not what I’d call highly readable unless you’re a huge fan of politics and the movers and shakers. You get an excellent portrait of the machinations which went on behind the scenes to engineer the massive events of the century – the creation of a ‘united’ kingdom, the vast swathes of territory captured and shackled to become the Empire, and at home, the endless, sometimes tediously endless battles fought for reform – social and political. The lack of real vision is one of the things that strikes you – how legislation like the second Reform Act, for example, were passed almost by accident, or how legislation passed to fix one problem causes a raft of others. In these times of quite delineated party politics, the constant shift of loyalties between Whig (later Liberal) and Tory and then Unionists seems anathema – but it simply wasn’t the treachery it would be seen as nowadays. The top heavy power elite however, is something that struck me as a horribly scary parallel – being ruled by a (ruthless) few in Cabinet with their own agenda. Salisbury’s gang of relatives, which today is much like – well, I’ll lead you to draw your own conclusions. And the parallels of yesterday and today just kept on coming for me – I am sure deliberately if obliquely drawn by Cannadine. What goes around comes around, sadly. Very sadly.

I enjoyed the first two thirds of this book much more than the last. Perhaps because my interest is in the ‘high’ Victorian period, it began to wane when we hit the 1880s. Or perhaps it was simply too much. I wouldn’t recommend this as a general Victorian history, but if your interested in Machiavellian machinations and the political movers and shakers of the period then this one is for you.

[Humberto Mayese Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, witty and reader-friendly narrative history of the United Kingdom from its inception in 1800 to 1906. This is mostly a political history, with Cannadine's emphasis being in parliamentary debates. It offers us some glimpses of social and cultural history, as well as takes on and international history and imperial history. In a large measure, this is an introductory book and covers a large span of time and events, so do not expect thorough discussions on the main developments of the time. In this sense, I really enjoyed the book, since I had not had any contact with British history before, besides some brushes of international history, the area I hail from. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in getting to know this fascinating period of British history, when a tiny nation in the periphery of Western Europe became the world's paramount power. A caveat: if you are looking for detailed accounts on issues like gender, race or international/imperial relations, you will have to look elsewhere.

[Fahed Al Kerdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such an informative book. As a person who is interested in the Victorian era, I really liked the political point-of-view that the author is taking, especially the chronical process that the chapters are following. However, I was looking more into science, economy, industries, inventions …etc. during this era and was really disappointed that the content of this book focused more on the political events in such a prosperous century, even though the author dedicated in several places some contents to talk about names, events, and inventions related to the scientific and economic development in the Victorian era, but it was all in the political context. Anyway, 5 stars were totally deserved as I enjoyed reading this book.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmmmm. Smooth narration. Really hooks you. Rarely analytical—focuses on high politics, without even explaining **why** high political developments happened.

[Louie Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but misses a lot of relevant information

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

so good

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterful political history of 19th century Great Britain and Ireland with a strong focus on the Westminster System and party politics as well as the changing role of the monarch over time. Histories of 19th century Britain often begin with Congress of Vienna and extend to the outbreak of the First World War but Victorious Century begins with the Act of Union between Britain and Ireland and integrates Irish history into the narrative. While the focus of the book is political developments, Cannadine (the editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography), also weaves cultural history into the narrative, discussing the work of authors from Jane Austen to HG Wells. Social history receives less attention but the final chapters contain an extended analysis of how daily life in the United Kingdom changed over the course of the century. Events in the wider British Empire are mentioned throughout the book but do not receive the same attention as politics within Great Britain and Ireland.

In terms of royal history, Cannadine notes that the 19th century was a period of gradual evolution from a monarchy able to shape political events in the manner of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert early in Queen Victoria's reign to the more ceremonial role of the elderly Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. He also observes that successive monarchs misread the political and religious situation in Ireland. King George III opposed Catholic emancipation and Queen Victoria was hostile to Prime Minister William Gladstone's support for Irish Home Rule. Not until King George V did a monarch observe that Irish Home Rule in the 19th century would have been a wise policy.

Cannadine admires Prince Albert, arguing that "no member of the British royal family since has made so many-sided a contribution to the cultural and intellectual life of the United Kingdom" and there is a chapter devoted to the Great Exhibition of 1851. In contrast, Cannadine is dismissive of King George III's "delinquent sons" and argues that the Duke of Kent did not make any notable contribution besides fathering Queen Victoria, a claim disputed by the Duke's recent biographers. I would have been interested to read more of his thoughts about Queen Victoria's changing political views over the course of her reign. Overall, however, Victorious Century is an authoritative and engaging history of the 19th century United Kingdom, especially for readers interested in the political figures and developments of the time.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Victorious Century" is more like a textbook with a sense of humor. But what great topics it covers and what a cast of characters. "Victorious Century" covers the history of England from the hated Union Act of 1806, which dragged Ireland kicking and screaming into it's sphere of influence, and the Napoleonic Wars to England at the time of death of Queen Victoria's son, King Edward VII in 1906. The book covers England's growth from an agricultural society to, at the time, the most industrialized country in the world. England is basically a small island which built a powerful navy that ruled the seas and whose large reach allowed for territorial growth from it's imperialist activities. It's armies then kept territories like India, South Africa and Australia tightly guarded until independence movements left England no other recourse but to grant it. The book is aptly titled because of the dominance of Queen Victoria who ruled for 63 of the 100 years of the 19th century. Her reign was noteworthy for it's emphasis on territorial acquisition, nationalism and the desire for a strong kingdom. She was supported in these goals by many strong Prime Ministers like Lord Palmerston and the Duke of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo, but none more supportive than Benjamin Disraeli. Queen Victoria loved him. But towards the end of her reign William Gladstone became Prime Minister and seized on the country's need for social reforms and a more populist government representation. Queen Victoria loathed him. What follows, but not in "Victorious Century", is a strong independence movement, not only by the individual but by the nations of the world as well. The slow dismemberment of the United Kingdom in the 20th Century follows which, after two world wars, eventually left England with only it's small island and mostly independent countries like Canada and Australia that are loyal to the Queen but exist as separate entities. This was a very interesting, well written book by David Cannadine who also wrote the terrific biography, "Andrew Carnegie". If you are as interested in the history of England as I am, "Victorious Century" is a winner.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turning back to a book of Nineteenth Century history is, for me, rather like going back to a classic album of your youth. Some of the riffs have been forgotten but you know the direction of the song and somehow you end up singing along. Cannadine's volume in the Penguin History follows a predictable course (and how could it not?) so you sense that a famous Disraeli quote is about to come up, or a particular anecdote, because how could they not?

Cannadine's introduction promises a rather less predictable narrative - surely an almost impossible feat in a 500 page book covering a whole century. This is what lies behind the slightly quirky choice of beginning and end dates. Most Nineteenth Century histories are 1789/1815 to 1914, depending on how much of the French wars are chosen to be included. Cannadine chooses 1800, the beginning of the century and the incorporation of Ireland in the UK and 1906, the Liberal landslide which Cannadine sees as inaugurating the beginning of a new era. The series as a whole seeks to dispel the, now surely dispelled, myth of Whig History. But if there is one century where this myth is really hard to dispel it is the Nineteenth Century. This was the century of progress par excellence brought to an apotheosis by by the 1906 Liberal government and shatteringly dispelled by the First World War.

Cannadine does add some interpretations that hadn't occurred to me before. He sees the 1830s as the pivotal decade and the 1840s as the most difficult century since the 1340s. The first half of the Nineteenth Century is therefore the crucible out of the which the great equipoise of the middle years emerges. He downrates Gladstone's first government to a surprising degree, but not to the advantage of Disraeli who emerges as the great Boris Johnson figure of the age. The two Victorian titans are much diminished in his view. Salisbury, by contrast, is seen as a far more capable leader than usual.

The final chapter feels rushed. The social changes, including (very briefly) sport, are quickly swept up. This is a pity but understandable in a book that seeks to be comprehensive within one volume.

[Alan Vanneman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a largely disappointing attempt to take a fresh look at the "British Century". The author avoided noticing the, yes, racist and oppressive aspects of the British empire, which was. as the author often says, the largest that ever existed. It is very difficult to cover a full century of a nation's history, and the author never worked to develop the sort of overview necessary to do the job, falling back on simple narrative history, and you can't narrate a century in one book. Readers who have the stomach for three volumes instead of one will be better served by the three relevant volumes of the New Oxford History of England. I have a more extensive review on my blog "Literature R Us".

[Brett Hamilton · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Victorious" an easy heading when the author spends a pathetic few pages on the Great Irish Famine, and cares little for the 1 million dead. An appalling failure of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland.

“The real evil with which we have to contend is not the physical evil of the Famine but the moral evil of the selfish, perverse and turbulent character of the people.” - Sir Charles Trevelyan

Considering he takes his starting point as the Union of the two Kingdoms, to override this most disgusting period of English occupation of Ireland is offensive and incredibly poor history.

If I could give no stars, it would receive no stars.

[Mshelton50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb history of the United Kingdom during the late Georgian, Victorian and early Edwardian periods. As always, Sir David Cannadine has made the art of history--the voluminous research, the synthesis, and the writing--look effortless. Anyone wanting to know about the Great Reform Bill (1832) or the Irish Potato Famine (1845-52) or the Indian Mutiny (1857-58) will be very enlightened. I was also very interested in the close attention paid to Anglo-American relations. I highly recommend this book.

[Justin Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, sometimes you want a vaguely Whiggish history of political machinations in the 19th century. Do you want 500+ pages of it? How much Peel, Gladstone, Disraeli, and so on can you stand? I tapped out pretty quickly, but still, a useful resource. It would have been better if the chapters were half as long. Seriously, why must historians force 50 page chapters on us, when they're divided up into sections? I recognize this is about me and my extremely anal reading habits, but still.

[Nick Harriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading if you are interested in British history. A good balance between the positives and negatives of the time and a genuine attempt at giving a dispassionate historical view of a period that saw the UK rise to the peak of its Imperial and industrial power.

[Daniel Breeze · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exhaustive and exhausting. This is a grand historical narrative that is largely a work of political history. If I'm honest, I found it to be quite dry at times. I can see it working well as a referencing device.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitated to give this a rating at all, because highly as I might think of it for the reasons explained below, I'm not in a position to assess it for an accurate and balanced approach to the historical record. I'm not an adequate peer reviewer, in other words: there's a sense in which I'm not qualified to give this a rating, not being a historian of nineteenth-century Britian, and this sense prompted me to look through my non-fiction shelf out of curiosity about my rating patterns. I don't review philosophy because it seems to me that metaphysical truth is the objective there, and I'm in no position to arbitrate that, although I noticed some, few, exceptions to this rule where the philosophy veers into belletrism and/or away from said metaphysical pursuit. I also noticed exceptions where the artefactual identity of a piece of non-fiction seemed to me to eclipse its philosophical, etc. All of this led me to conclude that I feel entitled to rate something when its aesthetic dimension can be said to predominate over its other dimensions. Works of literature - and this need not be creative writing, - of whatever century, I feel equal to the task of passing judgment on.

Victorious Century is neither a work of primarily aesthetic value, nor a literary artefact, but I'm going to review it anyway because I do have a more-than-average amount of knowledge about the Victorian period, and because I happen to trust Cannadine as a historian having read some of his other work and, incidentally, met him (and had the testimony of others he's met). Also because, if I'd have trouble telling what he might have left out or over-/under-emphasized here, I'd have little difficulty spotting any kind of revisionist or other bias, and that was absent from this book. I like a straight account of the facts - despite the academic opinion that there is no such thing, - and an account of the facts as compendious and engrossing as this deserves nothing less than the critical consensus on this book, which is summarized on the very first page of my paperback and invokes works like "magnificent," "majestic," and "magisterial." If I made one or two of those up, it was only for alliterative effect and in real token of my awe for this book.

Basically, it's more captivating than some fiction, reads like a charm, and does what the title advertises in overviewing a century (more or less) of British history. To be frank, I'm not convinced by the decision to frame the 1800s within the titular years - Cannadine refers to the question of periodization at the very beginning, - but that didn't put me off of the pre- and post-Victorian content here, and I suppose the timeframe selected was symbolic of the attention paid to politics throughout. Because I was in particular need of brushing up on my prime ministers, I didn't mind that, either. I've found that the history you get in studying the Victorian period tends to focus on empire and culture, with note taken of major sociopolitical events, so the coverage here of the wider political climate at the time was not superfluous.

I'm very happy I finally crossed this off my list - I did myself a service! Very highly recommended.

[Brad Trefz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big history in the old school sense. Densely packed with a laundry list of prominent names, the majority of the work is at its heart a political history that, in keeping with current historical fads, makes the occasional nod to social history, though usually in brief. The same can be said for the history of science, technology, finance, and the host of other historical factors and trends so prominent in 19th century history. Cannadine begins and ends in Parliament and the cabinets where he is most effuse and confident. His attempts to weave a more intricate history usually feel tacked on and (possibly) due to encouragement from editors. It is a good review and one of only a few macro histories that cover the period in it's most dominant empire, but the contextualization is often missing or off and little explored. You instead get intricate details about the political struggles over key legislation like the poor laws, corn laws, Irish Home Rule, political reform, etc. that dominate any history of the period but significantly less on their broader effects and cultural, economic, and social impacts.

Further, Carradine never seems to develop any real themes or trends in his exploration, aside from the "accidental empire" thesis which I leave to the many others who have done so to point out the inadequacies of that theory. It only gets you so far. At the political level it works, London often sought to restrain the "men on the spot" whose belligerent acquisitiveness grew the empire at an alarming rate in the 19th century, but Cannadines focus on the UK and England in particular seldom explores these activities beyond their political impacts on the home islands. The broader cross cultural and economic effects of empire get short shrift, as does the culture that made empire growth the default for all those "men on the spot," which viewed in context makes the empire less "accidental" than it first appears.

This book is a survey, but the rapidity of Cannadine's exploration with its ever changing cast of politicians may be hard for the uninitiated to follow. Further, he is prone to asides (with an annoying change of verb tenses that jar any grammarian) and jumps in time that further confuse his narrative.

The book is better as a review of the history and the period with some additional insights useful to those seeking to expand their knowledge of the period, less so as an introductory survey or in depth exploration.

On a final note, not necessarily down to the author, the Kindle version lacks footnotes in the text - a massive and annoying oversight for any practicing historian that makes it difficult to reference some of the authors source material, which in some cases would have made reading his text more insightful.

[Steven Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book

It keeps itself to itself at times, preferring to lay out the timeline rather than deep diving into reasons or rationale. There's not many if any places where the author stops to give their opinion on a matter it's very much a here's the facts; this happened this happened this happened. That's not a bad thing but at the same time there are times where you kind of wish more was explained. It's mentioned that Victoria despised Gladstone and adored Disraeli but never really stopped to drill into why. Just a few mentions here and there before moving on. But then it could be argued that this book is your starter for 10, it lays out the Victorian period and gives you a taste of what you can drill into. Little if any time is spent on the creation of the Labour party but given they never really became a power till after the time period it makes sense. What was Alberts plans for the monarchy that was cut short by his death? You won't find out here but you'll know there were plans so maybe look into a biography of Victoria's husband.

I feel it dips a bit towards the end. After the Third Reform Act phase of the book it slows a bit before picking up for a rather splendid summary that you could argue is worth listening to as a standalone piece using the narrative of a time traveller from the beginning of the period going to the end.

I think the funniest thing I take from this whole book is just how much Britain stumbled upon their Empire. A great deal it seems can be explained away by a Viceroy doing a thing on their own accord and telling Parliament after the fact, or a company who got a charter to do a thing ends up making an arse of it and having to be bailed out. At times I was left thinking you could call Britain the "Accidental Empire". A lot of the time Britain didn't want what was presented but ended up going along with it cause it seemed the right thing to do. Very peculiar.

Another thing I find fascinating is just how much of the early period can be summed up by "yeah we COULD do x or y but to do so would benefit Catholics so.... let's not". I was left perplexed by exactly why the Acts of Union of 1800 took place. They had to know what they were bringing into their fold so to then spend the next 50 years foaming at the mouth around Catholic emancipation is confusing, and the back and forth over Home Rule really does give hints to why Ireland ultimately went the way it did with the revolutionary period of the early 1910s.

[Jack Caulfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good one in this series. This book generally remains quite focused on the ins and outs of parliamentary politics, which means it can get a bit dense (read: tedious if you don't care much about your Gladstones and Disraelis). For me this was very enjoyable. Cannadine regrettably doesn't often zoom in for proper biographical sketches or accounts of dramatic moments, something I missed a bit after reading the Ackroyd. For example, Castlereagh's breakdown and suicide are adumbrated in a sentence but not described any further; the madness of George III is mentioned once or twice but never properly explained; even Victoria's personality comes through only in brief glimpses. Cannadine likes to bring out the personalities of all the big names essentially through their actions and relationships with one another, and the material is so well organized that this always works—there are just some moments where he withholds interesting biographical detail in a way he doesn't have to.

The structure is very clear and readable: each chapter covers a period of, say, ten years, starting with a short section introducing the broad narrative of the chapter and then several thematic sections that each span across the whole period but with a focus on a specific theme (e.g. foreign policy).

The one aspect of the book's approach that feels like a misstep is the choice of start and end dates: 1800–1906 in lieu of the more typical 1815–1914. Cannadine admits that this choice was essentially made for the sake of trying something new, and it feels as arbitrary as that suggests. Particularly the last chapter, which zooms in on the election of 1906 as an opportunity to reflect in a very long-winded way on what changed across the century, is grating. This is largely because of the insane choice to frame most of this reflection in terms of a laboured metaphor about some hypothetical time travellers from 1800 who have landed in 1906. For 31 pages(!) virtually every paragraph starts with some version of 'The time travellers would surely have been surprised to find that ...' Given the unusually high incidence of typos in this chapter, I can only assume the editors forgot it existed and thus neglected to delete it. Thankfully, the epilogue that follows is much better (and shorter).

[Ian O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let this be a fair warning to the perspective reader: as observed in many other reviews, this sprawling survey of the 19th century is at its heart a *political history* which can make this read a bit of an uphill climb in places. Such inordinate detail given regarding election returns and cabinet posts makes more the remarkable events of Victorian history distant - the triumphs over Napoleon, the Crimean War, Gordon in Sudan, the Boer War etc. Even Queen Victoria herself assumes a cameo role here.

Here I'll note some of the ancedotal highlights (spoiler alert) that I personally found most interesting:

Cannadine describes Britain's as a young man's empire, the result of a baby boom in the later 1800's, and notes "during the first half of the nineteenth century over 60% of the population would be less than twenty-four years old." Life expectancy at the time was around 40 years, with cities like Liverpool and Manchester averaging 27 and 28 years respectively!

As a response to the Great Reform Act of 1832, the decade saw the rise of reactionary movements like Young England & the Gothic Revival. Says a contemporary novel "everything had been going downhill since the twelfth century."

The term boycotting derives from Captain Boycott, an "embattled" land agent in Ireland representing a Lord who's tenants refused to pay rent in order to protest evictions in the so called "Land War" of the 1880's


(incomplete draft)

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, covering the political, social, and economic history of the 19th century in English history. Specifically, the book covers the period from the Act of Union in 1801 through to the 1906 election and the first “people’s budget.” The author, David Cannadine, does a great job outlining the recurring themes of change and constants through the many historical actors, economic trends, and social movements. The 19th Century is always a fascinating topic, it saw such great changes across a wide spectrum of industries, businesses, politics, social mores, transportation, communications, and many other fields. Though primarily concentrated on England, the book brings in the wider international picture to tell its tale and talk about the interactions of these wide array of changes, providing a very global view (albeit an English-centric one). Cannadine is certainly a fan of the British "system," consistently pointing out that, despite the dynamic environment, there was always stability and continuity. Indeed, it is the quest for that stability which really forms the backbone of the book and Cannadine's view of the major actors of that period. A great book for those wanting an overview of the United Kingdom's history in the 19th century and a look at how a particular polity effectively dealt with a number of great economic and social changes.