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Title details for One Hot Summer by Rosemary Ashton - Available

One Hot Summer

Dickens, Darwin, Disraeli, and the Great Stink of 1858

by Rosemary Ashton
Corrie James
Audiobook
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1 of 1 copy available
While 1858 in London may have been noteworthy for its broiling summer months and the related stench of the sewage-filled Thames River, the year is otherwise little remembered. And yet, historian Rosemary Ashton reveals in this compelling microhistory, 1858 was marked by significant, if unrecognized, turning points. For ordinary people, and also for the rich, famous, and powerful, the months from May to August turned out to be a summer of consequence.

Ashton mines Victorian letters and gossip, diaries, court records, newspapers, and other contemporary sources to uncover historically crucial moments in the lives of three protagonists—Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, and Benjamin Disraeli. She also introduces others who gained renown in the headlines of the day, among them George Eliot, Karl Marx, William Thackeray, and Edward Bulwer Lytton. Ashton reveals invisible threads of connection among Londoners at every social level in 1858, bringing the celebrated city and its citizens vibrantly to life.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 1, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781541429727
      • File size: 349716 KB
      • Duration: 12:08:34

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The summer of 1858 proved to be the hottest, rankest summer on record in London. Narrator Corrie James takes listeners down the polluted Thames, giving them the ambiance and odors of Victorian England. The focus on three prominent citizens, Darwin, Dickens, and Disraeli--coupled with Parliament's attempt to solve the problem of the stench emanating from London's major river--gives James perfect fodder for this smelly but entertaining journey. The many facts she delivers include Dickens's error in announcing his marital separation to the public, Darwin's completion of his ORIGIN OF SPECIES, and Disraeli's success in getting the Thames problem solved in Parliament. Through it all, Ashton and James keep listeners focused on the significance of these events and capture the period with authenticity. E.E.S © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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