Book received from NetGalley.

This book is a good way to get an overview of how life was in Georgian London. I like that it used a modern person time traveling as it's premise. My only issue with the book was it was so short, though I did learn a few things about the era. Especially since it's not one that I focus on in my reading of British history. I do recommend it if you have little to no knowledge of the time frame.

The premise of this book is time-travelling. “It captures the modern imagination rather as Heaven did for our ancestors. Who has not daydreamed about, say nipping back to Tudor times to inform Henry VIII that it is the father who determines the gender of the baby?”

I don’t share the author’s enthusiasm about time-travelling nor her views.

The book is divided into chapters, analyzing among other things: clothing, home, health, proper behavior and more. With her analysis she is sometimes all over the globe (France, China), instead of concentrating on England. Some of her analyses are very questionable or raising eyebrows for poor wording. “ Apart from perhaps thongs and killer heels…”

“Any time-travellers wanting to experience or improve the poorer citizens’ lives in the 18th century will find that a nationwide culture of humanitarian relief is lamentably absent, which could be a problem for anyone wanting to help.”

This is a very poorly written analysis and as a history book you can’t take this seriously. Then why even bother reading such book?

Very informative and fun trip back in time. You feel like you are actually there.

"A Visitor's Guide to Georgian England" describes what life was like in England from 1714 to 1830. It's a brief look at various aspects of life, so we might get details about the routine of getting dressed but more of a survey of the sports played at the time. Most of the information was about the middle and upper class, but it does mention the poorer class.

The author started by providing an overview of the time period and of the attitudes that people generally held. She then looked at clothing and makeup (what they wore, how you put it on, and the makeup they made and used); what location you might choose to live in and what type of job you might take; the diseases and such you might encounter and the treatments that could be offered; fitness and sports you might engage in (with descriptions of how they were different from modern versions). She also looked at the rise of etiquette; unusual (to us) laws, how to bring someone to trial, and possible punishments; what theatre, opera, circus, and pantomime performances were like; how the lottery worked and all the ways people gambled (cards, dice, horses, etc.); what topics children were taught, and some notables from the Enlightenment.

The writing style was lightly humorous and very readable. The book focused more on what was different, so don't expect a complete, detailed look at any subject. However, it was a fun overview of Georgian England with some interesting details thrown in. I'd recommend this book to those interested in how the Georgian's were different (and yet similar) to us.