A Visitor’s Guide to Jane Austen’s England, Sue Wilkes, Pen & Sword History, 2019 and 2021 by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CRO 4YY

Sue Wilkes’ introduction clarifies the purpose of the book: ‘This book is a visitor’s guide for a gentleman or a lady entering the world of the middle or upper classes. Through their eyes you will experience the lifestyles of the men and women in the society which Austen knew and wrote about in her novels’. The chapter titles provide a further opportunity for readers to begin to immerse themselves in Jane Austen’s world. Travelling in Style; Gracious Living; The Latest Modes; Money Matters; Shopping, Lounging and Leisure; The Perfect Partner; and In Sickness and in Health all resonate with Wilkes’ statement: Jane Austen’s novels which I have loved and re-read many times since my childhood, were the major inspiration for this book…’
Quotes from Austen’s novels open the chapters, for example, Travelling in Style opens with: ‘It was a sweet view – sweet to the eye and the mind. English verdure, English culture, English comfort, seen under a sun bright, without being oppressive (Jane Austen, Emma, 1815)’; Gracious Living with ‘At that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813)’ and, hiding the realities even more markedly, In Sickness and in Health begins: ‘Oh, I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813).
Jane Austen’s novels are the inspiration, set the scene at the beginning of each chapter and provide beguiling quotes and examples to suit the events throughout the chapters. All of which is delightful. However, Austen’s romantic observations are not allowed to overwhelm the realities that Wilkes also exposes. Austen’s world was not only one of romantic liaisons, beautiful scenery, pleasant travel, and balls, spoilt only by the need for money, fear of spinsterhood and mud on a long skirt. As unsatisfactory as these events may be, and indeed, the novels do not always hide the realities, Wilkes work takes the “lady or gentleman visitor” who join her in life in the Guide into some truly appalling conditions.
Wilkes’ ability to draw the reader into the world of ‘water closets [that] often give rise to unpleasant smells’ and the sometime requirement to take night soil through a house to night carts; the horrors in “lunatic asylums”; or the shortcomings of medical practice (which belie the quote from Pride and Prejudice above) and the less dramatic, but ever-present concerns with class, money and rules is impressive. She draws on Austen’s letters; her family’s recall, and writings; further fictional accounts, such as Maria Edgeworth’s Tales and Novels, Vol. XV11, 1833; as well as a plethora of non-fiction works. The bibliography provides a wealth of sources, unpublished, contemporary, books, works published after 1900, and online sources. Such listing cannot truly show the varied nature of the works, so some brief details are worth recounting. Local studies included: amongst many diaries, Diaries of Dolly Clayton of Lockstock Hall (1777, 1783, Lancashire Archives; A Receipt Book of Mrs Owen (18th – 19th centuries), Lancashire Archives DDX; Annual registers of spending and incomes, a medical register, Edinburgh registers; A View of London, or the Stanger’s Guide to the Metropolis 1803-04, London, 1804 (a contemporary forerunner to Wilkes? What fun that would have been to read); an 1823 Encyclopaedia Brittanica; Lady’s Magazine or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Vol. X11, London, 1781, amongst other fascinating titles; and books ranging from those about the life of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Saxe-Coburg and, at the other end of the social scale, Adams, Samuel and Sarah, The Complete Servant: Being a Practical Guide to the Peculiar Duties and Business of all Descriptions of Servants, Knight&Lacey, 1825.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Guide, the story telling approach working adeptly to make this factual work universally accessible. The links with Austen were nicely made, without overpowering the factual nature of the work – at the same time, I began to feel that re-reading my favourite Austens (novels and biographies) was a must. The index was detailed and informative, and the bibliography, impressive. So, an academic reader can easily join with one who wants a popular reading of Jane Austen’s time in perfect harmony. Both will be thoroughly satisfied, I combine both aspects of the exacting reader and loved the book.

As a die-hard Janeite I adore reading anything about Jane Austen and Sue Wilkes' book is a great addition to the Jane Austen book family. By the title I thought it would be about where in modern day you can visit places that Jane lived or inspired her writing but it isn't; it's a history book explaining what life was like in Regency times down to the nitty gritty of bed bugs!

--Delightful--

If you are a lover of Jane Austen and/or Costume Dramas, you might find this book perfect company to help you pass a cold, snowy evening, sitting in your comfy chair, sipping a cup of tea.

From clothing, transportation, sickness and health, marriage, and money, each topic takes you back 200 years and I could practically smell and hear and see all the goings on, as the author described them. It's not meant to be a stuffy, scholarly work, although certainly the amount of research that went into it can certainly be called "scholarly".

Instead, through snippets of daily life imagined (or from actual letters) , this book gives us a glimpse into times gone by, the reading of which sometimes leaves you longing "for simpler times" or grateful "for not having lived during that time"!.

A lovely read. I received a review copy from the publisher, but I've also purchased my own copy.

Imagine that you are a visitor in Jane Austen's England. What kind of carriage would you have? What kind of fashions would you wear? Where will you stay, and how will you travel? What is your occupation?Sue Wilkes discusses all these details, and more in an evocative way so that you can really picture yourself as a character in the Regency period!

She includes extracts from diaries, and books and peppers her account with several intriguing anecdotes about Regency characters, such as Beau Brummell and the Prince of Wales. She also discusses the differences between the classes. This well-researched, interesting book will be enjoyed by any Jane Austen fan, and it is also useful for novelists and non-fiction writers.v

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Jane Austen fans and readers of other Regency novels will appreciate this brief guide to everyday life in England from 1775 to 1820. The novels gloss over the real hardships and challenges of daily life that lie behind the dinner parties, balls, and visits that make up the social calendar, from cooking the food for the meals to purchasing and maintaining a wardrobe and traveling between town and country.

All stages of life from birth through childhood, courtship, marriage, maturity, illness, and death are covered. The focus is on middle and upper class society, and readers will come away with a much better understanding of life beyond the genteel confines of the novels.

More detail and more information about the class structure and life of the servants and lower classes would have been useful though.

A must read for all Jane Austen and Bridgeston fans. Sue Wilkis takes the reader on a tour of England at the time of Emma, Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy and all the other wonderful characters we love, answering all sorts of questions that period drama lovers have always asked: What is a young lady's day like in England? How much does a carriage ride cost and which vehicle should you choose if you want to keep up appearances? How does one travel as a young nobel woman and what fabric should the next evening gown be made of?
Of course, the book deals not only with the lives of women, but also men and daily life in general.

I am thrilled with the book and can only recommend it to anyone who would like to delve deeper into that part of history. It is accompanied by quotes and anecdotes from Jane Austen and her characters, but also from real contemporary witnesses.

I just would have liked the book to include more illustrations, especially showing clothings and furnishings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the ARC.

This book is just a long list of facts. I wish the chapters had more cohesive narratives, but instead each is disjointed and awkward to read. These ‘guides’ to previous time periods are becoming more popular, but they tend to be hit-or-miss for me. Unfortunately, this one was a miss. Perhaps if you knew absolutely nothing about this time period, this book would be useful to you - otherwise, there isn’t anything new or enlightening.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ebook arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a fun look into a brief period of history and a famous writer from that time that have captured the adoration of millions over the years!

As a history lover and geek I found this a fun and interesting read. It is a great guide if you write novels during this era and the facts are detailed and helpful. England during Austen's era is not all romance and garden parties, there are many other elements to this era. This book details the good stuff - and the not so good stuff of regency England.

trigger warning
<spoiler> child death, misogyny, death at childbirth </spoiler>

Let's assume time travel is a thing, and you need to prepare yourself for your stay in Regency Era England. This book will give you the basics.

Alternatively, if you're a writer who wants some background to their work or just love Jane Austen's work, this book will be for you.

It's very accessible and the contents are sorted into various chapters, starting with travel and ending with medicine and death. Both Jane Austen's work and writings from contemporaries are quoted, but I'd liked some footnotes. Since I have an arc, I am not sure if they might be in the finished version of the book - this is basically my only point of critique, so it would be neat if the end product would have them.

While I knew a few things due to having read a bit of literature set in the period and watched historical dressmaking youtubers, my hoard of useless knowledge has grown quite a bit. For example, now I know that in 1801, fashion created a lack of pockets in dresses and by 1806, even reticules were out, which made me very angry for some reason.

The writing appears very british in the way of dancing around issues like peeing or showing skin. It fit perfectly to the content matter.

After the regular chapters, we have a short biography of Jane Austen so we can place what we've just learned.

I don't think I'll read this again, only if I ever have a project going on that would need some of the knowledge collected here, but I had fun.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

A fascinating essay on everyday life in Jane Austen's England addressed to imaginary time travelers, where the author explains what they can expect and what they should not be shocked or grossed out for. Of course, each of the issues discussed could be explored further, but the general advices - with connection to Jane Austen - are so intriguing they encourage the readers to do it by themselves. It reminded me of Daniel Pool's "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew", even though that one is more thorough on some aspects.
A very interesting book for readers enthusiastic about the Regency Era - or just about Jane Austen - who want to better understand every detail.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Pen & Sword Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England by Sue Wilkes is the ideal book for someone who wants to have a detailed list of what life was for the gentry and aristocracy in Regency England. I think this book would be an ideal book for reference purposes if you are writing historical fiction set during this time. It has all the answers to any question you might think to have about the rich at the time from fashion to hygiene to primogeniture and travel,

If you are picking up A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England to try to better understand the time period in which Jane Austen writes in a way that isn't just stating facts I find this book severely lacking. I think I would have enjoyed this book if Sue Wilkes wrote a more straightforward history book of the time period and not this surface level presentation of what everyday life was like at the time. A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England doesn't even try to go into the politics at the time which is an interesting choice if you're trying to talk about the day to day lives of people of the Regency Era. The book doesn't really try to critically engage with things like the expansion of the British Empire and impact, class, gender, and race relations and for me it is a weaker book. Excluding those elements doesn't really reflect the day to day life of people from the Regency Era where Jane Austen wrote her novels and leaves leaves A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen falling flat. Especially so since things like gender and class are themes in some of Jane Austen's works.

I do enjoy reading Jane Austen's books and they are some of my favorite books, but this book really just felt like the notes section at the back of a book to try to explain the contexts the modern reader might not understand. Informative and well researched but doesn't need to be it's own separate book.

The most honest review of this book that I can give is that it is probably exactly what you think it will be. If you're someone who enjoys a good Austen novel or anything similar from this era, then this could be your thing.

It takes you on a journey through all the ways that people lived in the early 1800s, from dress and events to travel and food and basically anything you can think of in between. It's certainly an interesting look at what they day to day would have been like. I did find that a lot of it were things I knew already which I suppose is the peril of writing a book for such a specific audience. It's likely to be picked up by people who are already interested in the time period and that means they come with quite a bit of knowledge already.

Nevertheless, it's engaging enough to be enjoyable even if it's not all new. The writing style is light and funny, although I found the approach of writing like you're actually a person who will be doing these things a bit off=putting. It's not a heavy read at all which much of this kind of non-fiction can be. It's more something you might flick through on a Sunday afternoon.

Defininitely a bit of fun and something I'd recommend to big Austen fans in particular. Thanks to Pen & Sword for letting me read the ARC.

I was disappointed by this book, and I was disappointed to be disappointed by this book. I rather adore Jane Austen, and having recently completed a post-graduate history degree (and therefore spending a disproportionate amount of time reading non-fiction of late) I was looking forward to reading something so well reviewed. Instead, I was left feeling disengaged.

The author uses a narrative device in which she addresses the reader directly, which when done well works beautifully. In this instance, I feel that it falls flat. It is perhaps because the work lacks a narrative voice which I would expect to see when this device is employed. The writing is clear and concise and otherwise presents rather useful and relevant information. The index is a lovely touch and I was glad to see a bibliography. Overall, it is well done, and I otherwise have no complaints about the content, but perhaps this was just not the book for me.

This is a cute book that walks you through the time and location of Austen's books. I see this as a nice companion book to Austen books.

This book talked about what daily life was like in England for the middle and upper classes during 1775-1820. The author included quotes from diaries, letters, and such from the time period, including quotes from Jane Austen's letters. She also looked at quotes from Jane Austen's books to help the reader better understand the nuances of what was going on. The information was interesting and provided insights into books written in the Regency period. Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen's books and those interested in daily life during this time.

The author used a conversational tone, advising a visitor to England about what life will be like or what your options will be. She started by talking about travel, from the different ways to travel to what to expect at lodgings as well as hazards to watch out for, the costs, etc. She then talked about housing (including bathing, using the bathroom, the lighting and heating), what activities you might do (including shopping, gambling, letter writing, sports), what the meals will be like, details about the current fashions for both men and women, and what the different parts of clothing were like. She talked about how young men and women found their marriage partners and the advantages and disadvantages of a long engagement. She finished by talking about options in healthcare, childbirth, death and mourning, and things like quack cures and the sea cure.

*Many thanks to Sue Wilkes, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The book is written in the pattern following other books 'A Visitor's Guide to ...", which I often read, and presents a very detailed description of the period in which Jane Austen lived and wrote. The Author focuses on every single subject that you can think of regarding the guide: place, people, clothes, food, manners etc etc. There are numerous quotes from books, letters and memoirs, and they give the feel of the times.
I would definitely recommend this book to the lovers of Jane Austen's works as they will get a clearer ideas of conventions and the lifestyles of her days.

What a delightful book!

Not just for the lovers of Jane Austen novels but for anyone interested in the wonderful social history that it presents. Covering all aspects of living during the time, it really brings to life many things that are not often thought about. I have found myself quoting it so often to others with a 'did you know that..' I am sure that it will be a best-seller and is a must-include for book clubs.

It is very pleasant and a joy to read as so many 'history' books can be quite dry. It is perfectly matched with a pot of tea and a slice of cake to enjoy!

A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England by Sue Wilkes is a thoroughly researched practical guide covering everything in England’s genteel life during Jane Austen’s time. From gentleman’s entertainment to clothes, waking habits, outhouses, being sick and how much things cost.

If you are a fan of that era, and especially Jane Austen, it will no doubt give you a lot of insights into a lot of things Austen talks about and put it in context. A lot of Austen’s life is actually used as example, some of her letters are cited, some of her books too, as well as circumstances in the life of her famous contemporaries. We learn about many odd little events at the time, it’s very anecdotal and easy to read. The chapters are short and entertaining.

For people who like me are writing stories/plays/video games set in that era it is really a wonderful guide full of information that can give life to your work (like for example which inn to stay at to get the best view, how people travel and what are the risks and what gentlemen’s club is the most sought after and what are there secret practices…. Yes, you can find all those answers in the pages of that book!).

I highly recommend the guide to all creatives and fans. A great collection, not too dense, not too restricted, that will give a good overview all in one place without having to exert any research efforts. Wonderful!

A basic guide to what various aspects of life would have been like throughout Jane Austen’s life, from marriage to mourning customs- as if the reader is a tourist to England. Written in a breezy, easy to read style, this is an excellent book for people who want just a little ‘behind the scenes’ views of what life was like for Jane Austen’s characters. Good for the casual reader looking for just a bit of history, but history lovers will find it a little basic, although still fun to read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review