The Victorians

The Victorians

Twelve Titans who Forged Britain

Summary


They built a nation. Now it’s our turn.


Many associate the Victorian era with austere social attitudes and filthy factories. But in this bold and provocative book, Jacob Rees-Mogg -- leading Tory MP and prominent Brexit advocate -- takes up the story of twelve landmark figures to paint a very different picture of the age: one of bright ambition, bold self-belief and determined industriousness.

Whether through Peel’s commitment to building free trade, Palmerston’s deft diplomacy in international affairs, or Pugin’s uplifting architectural feats, the Victorians transformed the nation and established Britain as a preeminent global force.

Now 200 years since the birth of Queen Victoria, it is essential that we remember the spirit, drive and values of the Victorians who forged modern Britain, as we consider our future as a nation.

Reviews

  • A full-throated, clear-sighted, well-researched and extremely well written exposition of the Victorians and their values. Rees-Mogg’s choice of a dozen Victorian luminaries allows him to defend an era too often ignored or written off in British history, and to compare it to our modern day in a way that readers will find gripping but also chastening
    Andrew Roberts, bestselling author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’

About the author

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Jacob Rees-Mogg is a Conservative and the MP for the constituency of North East Somerset. Jacob sits on the Brexit Select Committee and he chairs the European Research Group. After Eton, Jacob read History at Trinity College, Oxford, before moving into finance. He co-founded Somerset Capital Management, which specialises in emerging markets investment management.
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