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Summary: A Biography that reads like a novel
Review: Here we have a well-written, insightful, honest biography of a fascinating woman who lived in a remarkable age. Foreman shows us a woman who had flaws (a gambling habit every bit as bad as a drug habit) but also had imagination, intelligence, drive, and a willingness to live her life apart from the standards of her time. Combine this character with a husband to whom she was hopelessly unsuited, and an "All About Eve" friend and this book reads like a wonderful novel. Read and enjoy.
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Summary: my review
Review: I thouroughly enjoyed this biography. Not only the character that was chosen by the author, but also the time period.By choosing Georgian, Duchess of Devonshire, the author has capitalized not only on a very famous person in english history, but also on the family history with Diana, Princess of Wales. You cannot help but make the "rapprochements" between the lives of these two women. The Duchess, although she lived in a time where women where not allowed to enter politics, was successful in influencing politicians as well as the public. She saw and understood the importance of appearances with the public. The same happened with Diana, although she always fought the "paparazzi", she always knew the power they had on the general public. The author has written a brilliant biography. She takes you through the subject's early life but during her adult life, she strives to make you understand the complexity of the Duchess. On the one hand she was sensitive and intelligent, on the other hand she was an addict, be it to gambling or to love. Very good book, and if you enjoy reading about history, you will enjoy this one in particular.
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Summary: Foreman is a First-Rate Biographer
Review: Amanda Foreman's stunning portrayal of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire is riveting! The author's meticulous research and excellent writing bring this vibrant, fascinating woman to life. An icon of Whig politics, entertaining, fashion, science and popular literature (not to mention gambling and intriguing social escapades), Georgiana accomplished more in her short lifetime than a dozen women combined. This historical biography reads like a novel, and Foreman's lively, three-dimensional depiction of her subject will cause you to bond with Georgiana before you finish the first chapter. In addition to the wonderful insight Foreman provides on Georgian's life, the book is also an excellent source of 18th century British political and social commentary. A wonderful, informative read!
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Summary: Excellent Biography
Review: In short the author has managed to make the subject a person and not a chapter in the history books. She presents a balanced portrait of the Duchess, not all good and not all evil, as well as the upbringing and the society who made her what she was. Excellent Bio!
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Summary: A tabloid life
Review: What better material can you start with than the most well-known menage a trois in English history - involving one of the wealthiest men of his age, and Duke at that, his wife the most popular and influential woman of her age, Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire - and their best friend? With a story like this Amanda Foreman would have been hard pressed to fail in a book on Georgiana, 5th Duchess of Devonshire. But Foreman doesn't falter in the tale though, and neither does she pore with salacious enjoyment over the detail. She does a great job in presenting the Duchess throughout her life and in all her colours and shades; as a young girl, rejected wife, desperate gambler, impetuous campaigner, caring mother and always- good friend. Georgiana was born in 1757 and died in 1806 so this book is set against the excesses and massive changes of the latter half of the eighteenth century. The rise of the industrial revolution, the rise in England's population - and most espeically the rise in the population of England's few cities. This was also the age of enoblement with the King raising many men to new peerages in order to stack the Government in his favour. Change was rife, fashion extreme and politics were a game that many noble women could play - Georgiana led them all. I like the way Foreman is sparing in her conclusions but presents the detail for us to interpret. We get to see all sides of Georgiana and her life. This is truly a book about a woman and the influence she had on her era. There have been a number of books on her over the years, the publication of her letters to Lady Elizabeth Foster. In the last 30 years Both Arthur Calder-Marshall and Brian Masters have written good biographies of the Duchess of Devonshire also. If you are looking for further reading on Georgiana, I think Brian Masters book is excellent and still in print.
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Summary: Fascinating story, but reads like a text book
Review: Georgiana is such an interesting character, that I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in English history, womens' studies or political science. However, I read this book on vacation, and it is anything but "light reading." In trying to document her subject accurately, the author often gets bogged down in historical citation and unimportant details. I am a good skimmer, and that's what you need to be to enjoy this book. Once you commit yourself to reading it, however, you are in for a treat!
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Summary: Dynasty meets the Royals 18th Century Style!
Review: Sex! Drama! Death! Politics! Power! Illegitimacy! Privilege! The life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, reads like a movie. What a fascinating and absorbing life this woman led! To her fans and detractors, she was a beautiful, glamourous woman who exerted much power and influence. Her fashions were copied, her male friendships were gossiped about, her soirees were the parties to be seen at. Behind the scenes she was deeply unhappy, bulimic, a gambler, locked in a menage-a-trois with her husband. She embarked on a foolish love affair and paid dearly for it. Still, her adoring public loved her all the more. Parallels can (and will) be drawn to Diana, Princess of Wales, who like Georgiana came from the Spencer family. I found Foreman's book to be an interesting insight into a vanished world of privilege and wealth. If you are interested in popular history, then this is a book for you.
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Summary: Compelling research and writing
Review: What I liked most about Foreman's book was how she transformed an immense amount of research into a very readable, very addictive book -- bringing a serious research effort into popular readership. She brings Georgiana to life through the use of her letters and I never really felt that she was extrapolating from them to reach conclusions and make the story more interesting. Foreman's book has the research depth of a PhD thesis and the ease-of-reading of a best-seller novel.
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Summary: Brimming with Life
Review: The Poor Little Rich Girl is a story with enduring fascination in our culture, whether it's Gloria Vanderbilt or Princess Di. First-time biographer Amanda Foreman tells an 18thcentury version of this tale that's enthralling, swift-moving, and sometimes unbelievable. At 17, aristocratic Georgiana Spencer married into one of England's wealthiest and most politically powerful families, but it was a mismatch from the very beginning. The diffident, unloving Duke of Devonshire only wanted an heir and was unable to deal with the intelligent, high-spirited, talented and immensely appealing teenager as his wife. Before long, Georgiana was involved like many aristocrats of her day in fevered, incessant, unrestrained gambling. This vice burdened her all her life, and at one point she owed today's equivalent of six million pounds. Juggling her debts and hiding them from her husband created constant stress; she took drugs, suffered miscarriages, psychosomatic ailments and an eating disorder. The Duke turned to other women, she to other men and perhaps another woman as well, who entered a strange menage a trois with the ducal couple. The public Duchess was the cynosure of a London undergoing an economic and journalistic boom. A vaunted and daring fashion-setter, she was written about, studied, admired, celebrated, lampooned in newspapers hungry for copy, and became a national celebrity. Marie Antoinette was a friend and the Prince of Wales a rumored lover. Most fascinating of all, Georgiana had a passion for politicking and her charm, benevolence and intelligence made her a political hostess and unelected politician with unusual power and influence. Foreman makes the story of Georgiana's attachment to the Whig party utterly compelling, and her explanations of Georgian politics are crystal clear. Winner of the Whitbread Prize for Biography, Foreman has a novelist's gift for painting a scene; the book is as vivid as "The Madness of King George" and as picturesquely lovely as "Barry Lyndon." Foreman's written a sprawling, hypnotic, beautifully-told and deeply affecting story of power, wealth, politics, sexual license, revolution, love and addiction that's tailor-made for a mini-series. This is an exemplary biography and the perfect summer (or winter) read.
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Summary: Excellent read!
Review: I truly enjoyed this book! Try as I might, I couldn't put it down until I had finished the last page. It is superbly researched, with plenty of citations and hints for further reading, which I appreciated. The inclusion of excerpts from Georgiana's own letters gives the reader a strong idea of this interesting woman's personality - she still speaks to us today! I do not regret purchasing this book!
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