- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Channel 4 Books; New edition edition (22 Sep 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752272284
- ISBN-13: 978-0752272283
- Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 18.8 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 717,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
It sounds like a great idea--but would you have done it? Take your family to an authentic 1900-style house in the suburbs of London and live for three months as Victorians? The Bowlers, Paul and Joyce, with their four children, Kathryn, Ruth, Hilary and Joe, were chosen for this time-travel experiment and survived well. They all admired their Victorian forebears but only Paul Bowler, the father, envied them. Perhaps this just shows that life 100 years ago may have been very good for men, but not so good for housewives or children. The girls were especially delighted at the end of the three months to be back in the age of Point Horror books, Leonardo di Caprio and hair-care products. You can get a good feel of how hard life was from the Bowler's shopping list: no hair conditioner, automatic washing-powder, kiwi fruit, frozen food, but instead, "ammonia, bathbrick, borax, candles, gelatine, lard, tapioca and turpentine." On the other hand, there are some nice surprises: toast was made in a matter of seconds, grilled before the open range. This is a fascinating picture of how life really felt in 1900, accompanying a major Channel 4 series. -- Christopher Hart
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Could you live witout television? Without a washing machine? Without central heating? The Bowler family found out at first-hand when they were selected for an unusual three month experiment that was featured in a Channel 4 series. A Victorian house in South London had been restored to its exact original state and the Bowlers were whicked back in time to 1900. Using poignant extracts from the Bowlers' diaries and excellent colour photographs, the book gives an intriguing insight into a unique historical venture. A description of the state of the nation in late Victiorian times sets the experiment in context. There is also a detailed account of the painstaking conversion of the house. Whether or not you saw the original television series, you will enjoy sharing the trials and triumphs of this exceptional family. (Kirkus UK)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Take a step back in time,
By Rose Dempsey (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 1900 House (Paperback)
This excellent book could be used (with the video of the series) as a history lesson for junior/middle school age children, as it brings to life a period that is before their time and yet with the insight of a family from today.I found the book to be a really good resource, not only reminding me of things seen in the television series but also for the sidebars of historical facts to do with various aspects of life in 1900. In the hustle of our "stressful" lives nowadays, taking a step back into a "simpler" time - when a woman's work truly was never "done", when doing the laundry was a whole days work and manual labour at that, when personal hygeine was a feat in itself - will surely make us count our blessings. This is a book for parents to talk about with their children, so that they can truly appreciate what their great-grandparents lives were like, and to realize how different their lives are today.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even better than the series,
By A Customer
This review is from: 1900 House: Featuring Extracts from the Personal Diaries of Joyce and Paul Bowler and Their Family (Hardcover)
If you liked the series, you will love this book. It is a well-written text of the Bowler family adventures. Lots of color and pictures, background information, before-and-after pictures of the house, and diary entries from the family. The book is graphically appealing, too -- a well-done book. I just wish the series would have been longer than four episodes, especially considering the Bowlers were there for three months. This is a must-read for any fan of the series.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book That Shows You What Life Was Like In 1900,
By zx50 (Next to Consett, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 1900 House: Featuring Extracts from the Personal Diaries of Joyce and Paul Bowler and Their Family (Hardcover)
This book is great for showing you how simple peoples' lives were in the year 1900. It shows you all the "technology" they had back then, compared, with all the technology we've got these days. It really is a great book for learning about the 1900 way of life. It also makes you realise how lazy we've become because of the technology we've gotten used to that makes our lives that much easier. All in all, a great book for learning about the simple and humble way of life in the year 1900. In my opinion, highly recommended. Contents are as follows ...
Part One: The World in 1900 Late-Victorian Britain A World Chronology of 1900 Part Two: 50 Elliscombe Road Restoring the 1900 House Part Three: Three Months in 1900 The Bowlers' Experience of Victorian Life Raring 2 Go A Range of Frustrations A Pattern of Life The Servant Problem In The Swim Back to the Future Afterworld: 1999 Again
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