The Regency Revolution

Shortlisted for the HWA Non-fictionCrown Award 2020





'Superb' The Economist

'Elegant, entertaining and frequently surprising' New York Times





The fascinating story of the Regency period in Britain - an immensely colourful and chaotic decade that marked the emergence of the modern world.



The Regency began on 5 February 1811 when the Prince of Wales replaced his violently insane father George III as the sovereign de facto. It ended on 29 January 1820, when George III died and the Prince Regent became King as George IV. At the centre of the era is of course the Regent himself, who was vilified by the masses for his selfishness and corpulence. Around him surged a society defined by brilliant characters, momentous events, and stark contrasts; a society forced to confront a whole range of pressing new issues that signalled a decisive break from the past and that for the first time brought our modern world clearly into view.

The RegencyRevolution is the most thorough and vivid exploration of the period ever published, and it reveals the remarkably diverse ways in which the cultural, social, technological and political revolutions of this decade continue both to inspire and haunt our world.



Dr Robert Morrison was educated at the universities of Oxford and Edinburgh. At present he is British Academy global professor at Bath Spa University. He is the author of The English Opium-Eater: A Biography of Thomas De Quincey, which was shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Biography.



Superb... The Regency period lasted for less than a decade but, as Mr Morrison argues, "its many legacies are still all around us." It was also, as this book amply proves, marvellously entertaining.



A spirited and wide-ranging account of life in - and out of - Regency England... [Morrison] does a splendid job of exposing the grubby underbelly of Georgian life... Elegant, entertaining and frequently surprising.



A zippy and vivid portrait... [Morrison] portrays big characters and changes, charting the emergence of a Britain that was more "desiring, democratic, secular, opportunistic". At the same time he is fascinated by its uglier features: the bare-knuckle prizefights, the squalid rookeries where beggars and criminals consorted.



Morrison showcases that relatively brief period - less than a decade - as an age of "remarkable diversity, upheaval, and elegance."... Given such plenty, what more could one ask from a work of cultural history?



A huge canvas is covered with great brio. There's no doubt that the Regency was a lively time, and in many ways Morrison catches it with spirited energy and pithy narrative.



The Prince Regent... ruled over a period of extraordinary creativity and it is that progressive cultural legacy that Mr. Morrison commends to contemporary Britain and the rest of the world.



Delightful... Morrison's lively and engaging study not only illuminates [the Regency period's] many and rapid changes, but convincingly argues that "its many legacies are still all around us".



Lively... brings crisp focus to a significant decade in British history and culture... Morrison expertly encapsulates the brief, radical trends and movements of this era.



Nobody knows more about this extraordinary, enthralling decade in British history than Robert Morrison... A triumph of historical storytelling.



Morrison gathers a broad range of topics into a strong, cohesive, and fast-moving narrative. An excellent introduction for readers new to the period and a fresh take for Regency enthusiasts.



An intriguing discussion on the finer and more fascinating aspects of the Regency period.



An enjoyable book full of anecdotes and scenarios of both the rich and famous, the poor and exploited alike... Morrison's breadth of reading is impressive, covering crime and punishment, theatre, sex, war and empire as well as the shifting landscape of the Industrial Revolution.



Absorbing and powerful... From urban planning to landscape painting, the scope of The Regency Revolution is vast and illustrative of the unique contributions and lasting impact of this era.