Shooting Victoria (ePub)

“I would like to have been taught by [Paul Thomas Murphy]. He’s the most free-spirited of scholars. Shooting Victoria rambles uninhibitedly and learnedly through 19th-century history into literature, penology, constitutional theory and even ballistics, stimulating highly topical thoughts along the way.” —John Sutherland, The New York Times Book Review

“[A] gripping book . . . Unravelling a rich skein of themes—justice, monarchy, prison, policing, public fears and private lunacy among them—Murphy shows how the survival of Victoria was also the survival of the British monarchy. . . . Shooting Victoria is a teeming, discursive pleasure. Murphy’s book is a feat of historical sympathy, shining light on the larger picture of the 19th century and its indestructible queen.” —The Guardian (UK)

“A fresh, lively narrative . . . Entertainingly informative.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“In this delightful book, Murphy argues that the assassination attempts on the queen during her nearly sixty-four-year reign cemented her popularity, helping her create the modern monarchy.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Enlightening study of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and her reign. It’s great fun. . . . Murphy’s detailed rendering sheds entirely new light on the queen’s strengths and her many weaknesses.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Murphy presents his tale with a superb sense of place. . . . The result is a multifaceted picture of Victorian Britain. . . . He also covers the Don Pacifico incident; the Great Exhibition; the Tichborne Claimant and Jumbo the elephant in a book for true lovers of the minutiae of the Victorian period.” —The Telegraph (UK)

“Written with as much verve and spirit as the youthful queen