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Amanda Vickery
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Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England Kindle Edition

by Amanda Vickery (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 184 ratings
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From the award-winning author of The Gentleman’s Daughter,a witty and academic illumination of daily domestic life in Georgian England.

In this brilliant work, Amanda Vickery unlocks the homes of Georgian England to examine the lives of the people who lived there. Writing with her customary wit and verve, she introduces us to men and women from all walks of life: gentlewoman Anne Dormer in her stately Oxfordshire mansion, bachelor clerk and future novelist Anthony Trollope in his dreary London lodgings, genteel spinsters keeping up appearances in two rooms with yellow wallpaper, servants with only a locking box to call their own.

Vickery makes ingenious use of upholsterer’s ledgers, burglary trials, and other unusual sources to reveal the roles of house and home in economic survival, social success, and political representation during the long eighteenth century. Through the spread of formal visiting, the proliferation of affordable ornamental furnishings, the commercial celebration of feminine artistry at home, and the currency of the language of taste, even modest homes turned into arenas of social campaign and exhibition.

The basis of a 3-part TV series for BBC2.

“Vickery is that rare thing, an…historian who writes like a novelist.”—Jane Schilling, Daily Mail

“Comparison between Vickery and Jane Austen is irresistible…This book is almost too pleasurable, in that Vickery's style and delicious nosiness conceal some seriously weighty scholarship.”—Lisa Hilton, The Independent

“If until now the Georgian home has been like a monochrome engraving, Vickery has made it three dimensional and vibrantly colored. Behind Closed Doors demonstrates that rigorous academic work can also be nosy, gossipy, and utterly engaging.”—Andrea Wulf, New York Times Book Review
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  1. Print length
    508 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  5. Publication date
    November 17, 2009
  6. File size
    1637 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Vickery crosses disciplinary divisions and pursues her subject through an array of sources, from diaries and letters and ledgers, to novels, pattern books and advertising. . . . Absorbingly narrated."—Eighteenth-Century Fiction
 (Eighteenth-Century Fiction )

“If until now the Georgian home has been like a monochrome engraving, Vickery has made it three dimensional and vibrantly colored. Behind Closed Doors demonstrates that rigorous academic work can also be nosy, gossipy, and utterly engaging.”—Andrea Wulf, New York Times Book Review

(Andrea Wulf New York Times Book Review 20091206)

"To say something that is at once original to the expert and exciting to the common reader, the historian must combine a heightened mastery of the material with a clarity of prose. No wonder such works are rare; Amanda Vickery's wonderful book should therefore be celebrated."--The New Republic
 (The New Republic )

Shortlisted for the 2009 Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History: Behind Closed Doors was highly commended by the judges of the Hessell-Tiltman prize and described as "outstanding in every way." (Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History English PEN )

Behind Closed Doors was highly commended by the judges of the Hessell-Tiltman prize for history and described as "outstanding in every way." (Hessell-Tiltman prize for History )

"Comparison between Vickery and Jane Austen is irresistible. . . This book is almost too pleasurable, in that Vickery's style and delicious nosiness conceal some seriously weighty scholarship."—Lisa Hilton, The Independent

(Lisa Hilton The Independent )

“Some of the considerable achievements of this important book are Vickery’s sheer mastery of the sources, the originality of her materials and methodology, and the provocations contained in her seductive prose.” — Helen Berry, Reviews in History (Helen Berry Reviews in History )

“This book takes an unstarchy look at domestic life in Georgian England and is full of delicious detail.” — House and Garden
(House and Garden )

About the Author

Amanda Vickery is professor of history, Royal Holloway University of London, and the author of The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England, which won the Whitfield, Wolfson, and Longman History Today prizes.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00INUHI68
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press (November 17, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 17, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1637 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 508 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 184 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Amanda Vickery

Amanda Vickery

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Amanda Vickery is the writer and presenter of BBC2's 'At Home with the Georgians' based on her book Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England (Yale, 2009)

Amanda is a Professor of Early Modern History at Queen Mary, University of London.

Her first book The Gentleman's Daughter (Yale, 1998) won the Wolfson, the Whitfield and the Longman-History today prizes. Her 30 part History of Private Life for BBC Radio 4 is available on CD. She is currently working on another series of the popular Radio 4 show 'Voices from the Old Bailey'.

Amanda Vickery is also the editor of Women, Privilege and Power: British Politics, 1750 to the Present (Stanford, 2001) and Gender, Taste and Material Culture in Britain and North America, 1700-1830 (Yale, 2006).

Amanda has begun a new project on clothes and fashion in the British empire.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
184 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Juliana
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Resource
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014
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Being the avid social history lover that I am, I was elated to discover a book that provided information of the Georgians and their homes. I had high hopes for this book, and I certainly was not disappointed! While she states that the book is mainly focused on the culture of the middle class, the reader is also able to learn bits here and there about the lower and higher classes through comparison or interesting information that aids in our educational journey for the middle class. From wallpaper to lock boxes, she explains them all and quite the impact that they had in daily life or decorating, and she writes in such a way that keeps you engaged for every page. There are several pages of color pictures with the occasional black and white picture mixed in, a wonderful addition to help us understand as well as visualize things that the Georgians would have had about them. Amanda Vickery effectively takes us into the world of the Georgians and their homes, and we learn a generous amount of interesting information that will continue to stick with us long after the book is finished. I look forward to reading it again!
15 people found this helpful
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cprkwy8
4.0 out of 5 stars Home and Possessions in Georgian England
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2022
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I enjoyed this detailed examination of housing and furnishings and what they reveal about the attitudes in Georgian England towards the roles of women and men in establishing and sustaining households.
One person found this helpful
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Dr. Emily Kurtz
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2010
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This book was surprisingly gripping; I could not wait to get to it each day. Vickery has a great grasp of her subject matter and covers all the attendant issues of domesticity: patriarchy, matriarchy, exchange, public/private, gender, &c. Broader implications of architecture, colonialism, and utilitarianism also make appearances without getting too lit crit on you. I won't get into too much detail here, but if this time period interests you at all, you'll be hooked. ONE criticism, however: there were several agreement errors (...once a gentleman outfitted THEIR home...), so many in fact that I considered that allowing this sort of mistake must be the new copyediting rule over at Yale UP. However, when I saw Elizabeth Bennet (ONE T, people!) misspelled, I realized that the errata were all just sloppiness. It seems to me that checking the spelling of a major literary character's name against the original text would be a simple enough task for both author and copyeditor. The world is going to the dogs!

That said, I still enjoyed this book for its balance of the trivial/scholarly.
22 people found this helpful
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Thomas M. Sullivan
3.0 out of 5 stars "Behind" Not "Inside"
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2010
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OK, it's probably my fault; I thought this book was something it is not. But, gee, when an author uses the words `behind,' `closed,' and `doors' in series, it seems reasonable for the prospective reader to assume that they will learn what went on, well, behind closed doors in the designated period. Perhaps I was spoiled, and inadvertently misled, by Judith Flanders' superb "Inside the Victorian Home" whose title implied we would be told what went on, you know, inside the Victorian home. And we certainly were. Ms. Flanders figuratively takes the reader by the hand and serves as an expert guide as they move together through the typical Victorian home and learn not only about the layout, function and furnishing of each room but, more importantly, about what went on in them, how people actually lived therein. Ms. Vickery's book, on the other hand, is the story of folks who lived in the Georgian period, the things they owned, and the, uh, relationship between those people and those things. Oh, she describes the general layout of various kinds of abodes, and uses case histories to describe the lives and fortunes of many coevals. But the story of how they actually lived in those habitats was apparently beyond her brief. But there's a whole lot of information about wallpaper and sewing methods and materials, and that sort of thing. Indeed, one might fairly characterize the work as a Georgian `Better Homes & Gardens.' Just don't call it social history because it certainly is not. For that aspect of the period, I refer you to Roy Porter's wonderful "English Society in the Eighteenth Century." Because for me at least, this book's title 'doors' were never opened.
56 people found this helpful
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Skip
5.0 out of 5 stars History comes alive
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
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This is a terrific book. It gives a fascinating picture of home life in early 18th century London -- what people wore, what they ate and drank, how their homes looked. Superbly researched and beautifully written.
3 people found this helpful
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Ames
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good information for the period but it is stiffy written
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
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Very good information for the period but it is stiffy written. Not for a Generalized Readership but more for scholars. Vickery takes an interesting series of topics and can make it feel a bit dry at times. Otherwise a good book.
8 people found this helpful
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H. Flynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2010
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This is a very interesting book. It gives insight into the lives of the people we see on many Masterpiece Theatres. It is printed on really beautiful paper, which is a really nice touch.
One person found this helpful
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Anne Surber
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book...it;s all i thought it would be
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013
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I love this book...it's all i thought it would be..the description was accurate and correct so the rest of the book is exactly what I wanted.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ermintrude
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2024
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I had enjoyed the BBC Radio adaptation of this book and had wanted to buy a copy of the book for a long time. Was very pleased to find one with this seller. It was sent quickly and is in perfect condition. Very interesting book covering all aspects of Georgian life. Very funny in parts too.
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Alda Traversi
3.0 out of 5 stars Scritto come una tesi di dottorato
Reviewed in Italy on October 13, 2021
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Il saggio è molto ben documentato, ma scritto in stile troppo volutamente dotto. Alla fine risulta noioso.
In alcuni capitoli sembra che l'autrice voglia un po' a tutti i costi attribuire alle donne un ruolo di "comando" che probabilmente non avevano davvero, e ciò sulla base di documenti in numero abbastanza esiguo per fare statistica. Ho avuto la sensazione che abbia formulato una tesi a priori e poi abbia cercato prove per suffragarla, invece di raccogliere prove e poi trarre conclusioni. In altri capitoli si leggono testimonianze assai diverse, sprazzi di vita vissuta a cui però manca un legame narrativo.
Per riassumere in una frase, la mia impressione è che l'autrice sia una brava storica ma una narratrice scadente.
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Bücherwurm
5.0 out of 5 stars Alltagsgeschichte im alten England
Reviewed in Germany on May 19, 2017
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Renommierte Uniprofessorin gibt unterhaltsam wieder, wie früher (18. Jahrundert in diesem Fall) gelebt wurde, wie Wohnungen aussahen, wie man sich Alltagsleben vorstellen kann. Viel Text auf wenigen Seiten, was das Lesen oft mühsam gestaltet. Inhaltlich aber top, deshalb: Fünf Sterne!
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空
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable and informative
Reviewed in Japan on October 3, 2019
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The chapters go by quickly, with Vickery's writing style. There's a lot of insight from her interspersed along the facts, pictures, samples, and she does it all with a very deft style that wasn't the least bit boring.
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Jacotte
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on September 23, 2018
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Expert and engaging history — loved it!
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