How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life

If one can’t find a working time machine, this book might just be the second best thing. Victorian England is a period for which there is a great deal of fascination. There is quite a bit written about the elite of the time, but less about the common people. Historian Ruth Goodman has done all the dirty work, coming as close to living the life of that period as possible in re-created conditions, and has completed exhaustive research to make this a wonderful resource for fans of the time. This book is quite comprehensive, covering everything from what kids played with, to work conditions and child labor, entertainment, dining habits, bathing, clothing, medical treatment, and just about anything else one can imagine. Some of this is quite mundane business, but Goodman finds ways to make it all intriguing. There are wonderful illustrations throughout, and an eight-page section of color illustrations. The writing is lively, fun, and interesting. This is certainly going to become the go-to resource for information on daily living during this fascinating period.