An Historian About Town’s book recommendations return after hiatus! I have to admit, I get quite frustrated on BookTok and Bookstagram (and book chat on other forms of social media), as nonfiction history books are widely ignored. (And really all nonfiction books aside from a few very popular biographies and/or memoirs…) However, many of us love our nonfiction and it is a great way to dive into the past. And with Bridgerton dominating social media chat for the spring and summer, I wanted to share some Georgian history. For our first Book Bite back, we have Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London by Alice Loxton.
Uproar! Satire, Scandal and Printmakers in Georgian London, Alice Loxton
London, 1772: a young artist called Thomas Rowlandson is making his way through the grimy backstreets of the capital, on his way to begin his studies at the Royal Academy Schools. Within a few years, James Gillray and Isaac Cruikshank would join him in Piccadilly, turning satire into an artform, taking on the British establishment, and forever changing the way we view power.
Set against a backdrop of royal madness, political intrigue, the birth of modern celebrity, French revolution, American independence and the Napoleonic Wars, UPROAR! follows the satirists as they lampoon those in power, from the Prince Regent to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Their prints and illustrations deconstruct the political and social landscape with surreal and razor-sharp wit, as the three men vie with each other to create the most iconic images of the day.
UPROAR! fizzes with energy on every page. Alice Loxton writes with verve and energy, never failing to convince in her thesis that Gillray and his gang profoundly altered British humour, setting the stage for everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to Private Eye and Spitting Image today. This is a book that will cause readers to reappraise everything they think they know about genteel Georgian London, and see it for what it was – a time of UPROAR!
Why You Should Read This…
This book is going to be for a very specific audience, and I think that that is absolutely fine. This is a non-fiction work and takes a somewhat academic tone- it isn’t quite as serious in tone as an academic work would be but I would not call this a piece of pop history. If you want a more thorough and in-depth approach to history than some casual history books will give you, Loxton’s work will be perfect for you!
Much of my undergraduate research was on nineteenth century political cartoons, so this falls right in my wheelhouse. Although they take a bit of knowledge to understand, once you know some of the history behind them, these cartoons become far more interesting (and funny). Loxton breaks down the history well, and she covers a fairly wide time period, not to mention a variety of topics, events, and historical figures. Political cartoons are highly underrated and Uproar! is the key to learning more now.
I have to say, if you are a fan of Bridgerton, I would absolutely put this on your to-read list. Although Bridgerton is largely about fictional characters, the real-life figures of Georgian society are far more interesting and scandalous than the Bridgerton clan and their associates!
Want more Georgian history? You can find my favourites here!
Is Uproar! by Alice Loxton on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Threads
