The reign of Queen Victoria, which ran from 1837 to 1901, saw not only the zenith of the British Empire, a time of dynamic expansionism coupled with massive national self-confidence, but also great changes in the fabric of Britain as resourceful Victorians transformed the face of the country. They built railways with cathedral-like stations such as St Pancras; mighty bridges and viaducts; great trading ships like the "Cutty Sark" and "SS Great Britain"; model housing at Port Sunlight and Saltaire; a wealth of imposing buildings from palatial factories, banks, country houses and seaside piers to schools, hospitals and prisons; and, in an age when death was always nearly, cemeteries and mausoleums.
This book explores all these aspects as Michael Jenner conveys in words and photographs the character of a remarkable age. With the centenary of the end of the Victorian era now at hand the time is right to appreciate its legacy anew.
Includes 130 colour illustrations.
