Shooting Victoria
Madness, Mayhem, and the Rebirth of the British Monarchy
Published on 20. December 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-1-60598-503-9 (ISBN)
Description
A New York Times Notable Book of 2012
Shooting Victoria is historical narrative at its most thrilling, from the cloak and dagger nature of several of the assassination attempts, to Victoria's brilliant responses to the attacks, alongside astute analysis of how these events actually revitalized the British monarchy at a time when monarchy was quickly becoming unpopular abroad. While thrones across Europe toppled, the Queen's would-be assassins contributed greatly to the preservation of the crown and to the stability that it enjoys today. After all, according to Victoria herself, "It is worth being shot at-to see how much one is loved."
Shooting Victoria is historical narrative at its most thrilling, from the cloak and dagger nature of several of the assassination attempts, to Victoria's brilliant responses to the attacks, alongside astute analysis of how these events actually revitalized the British monarchy at a time when monarchy was quickly becoming unpopular abroad. While thrones across Europe toppled, the Queen's would-be assassins contributed greatly to the preservation of the crown and to the stability that it enjoys today. After all, according to Victoria herself, "It is worth being shot at-to see how much one is loved."
Reviews / Votes
"I would like to have been taught by him. He's the most free-spirited of scholars. Shooting Victoria rambles uninhibitedly and learnedly through 19th-century history into literature, penology, constitutional theory and even ballistics, stimulating highly topical thoughts along the way." -- John Sutherland - The New York Times Book Review "Murphy recounts in a fresh, lively narrative how these deluded subjects managed to channel their mental instability or optimistic naivete into assassination attempts." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "In this delightful book, Murphy argues that the assassination attempts on the queen during her nearly sixty-four-year reign cemented her popularity, helping her create the modern monarchy." -- The Christian Science Monitor " The pages slip by in this well-written new take on Victoria and her times. An enlightening study of Queen Victoria and her reign." -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEWMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
24 pages of color and B&W illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 48 mm
Weight
736 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60598-503-9 (9781605985039)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
08/2023
Pegasus Books
€45.00
No shipping information available
Person
Paul Thomas Murphy is the author of Shooting Victoria, a New York Times notable book. He holds advanced degrees in Victorian Studies from Oxford and McGill Universities and the University of Colorado, where he taught both English and writing on interdisciplinary topics. He currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.