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Review
It's the detail in 'Magnificent Obsession' that marks it out. Detail gleaned from letters and diaries, that breathe fresh life into English history's most famous widowhood. Helen Rappaport takes Prince Albert's death, divines its possible medical causes, while explaining - lucidly, yet with great sensitivity - the national trauma that resulted from the death of Queen Victoria's adored, intelligent, and impressive Consort.
--Charles Spencer
In this intriguing study, Helen Rappaport sets out to tell the story of the royal anguish that followed Albert's death in December 1861 . . . she excels in her portrayal of a cult of mourning over which the queen presided with all the imperious intensity of a high priestess. Fair-minded, thoughtful and rich in social detail.
--Sunday Times
A brilliant new book . . . Helen Rappaport is especially good on the incompetence of the gang of medics who presided over Albert's illness. --Daily Mail
A remarkable book . . . a brilliant read
--Dovegrey Reader
An insightful, absorbing and highly readable account . . . Magnificent Obsession is that rare creature, a scholarly book that wears its learning lightly and is written with clarity and insight. It is a fascinating subject and an even better read: a model of its kind.
--Juliet Barker, Daily Express
Rappaport uses new sources to give a vivid account of Albert's death . . . a valuable and insightful book which will change our view of Queen Victoria.
--Jane Ridley, Spectator
I have never myself been an ardent monarchist. Yet I have just been reading Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession; and her fluency in English, and her poignant chronicling of matters royal have made me realise once again that she could convert me to virtually any cause. This particular airing of her rare skills maintains her already established status in the front rank of British historians.
--Colin Dexter
--Charles Spencer
In this intriguing study, Helen Rappaport sets out to tell the story of the royal anguish that followed Albert's death in December 1861 . . . she excels in her portrayal of a cult of mourning over which the queen presided with all the imperious intensity of a high priestess. Fair-minded, thoughtful and rich in social detail.
--Sunday Times
A brilliant new book . . . Helen Rappaport is especially good on the incompetence of the gang of medics who presided over Albert's illness. --Daily Mail
A remarkable book . . . a brilliant read
--Dovegrey Reader
An insightful, absorbing and highly readable account . . . Magnificent Obsession is that rare creature, a scholarly book that wears its learning lightly and is written with clarity and insight. It is a fascinating subject and an even better read: a model of its kind.
--Juliet Barker, Daily Express
Rappaport uses new sources to give a vivid account of Albert's death . . . a valuable and insightful book which will change our view of Queen Victoria.
--Jane Ridley, Spectator
I have never myself been an ardent monarchist. Yet I have just been reading Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession; and her fluency in English, and her poignant chronicling of matters royal have made me realise once again that she could convert me to virtually any cause. This particular airing of her rare skills maintains her already established status in the front rank of British historians.
--Colin Dexter
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--"People" magazine (3 1/2 stars)
"Quite simply, stunning. . . . Chilling and poignant, this is how history books should be written."
--Alison Weir, author of "Henry VIII: The King and His Court"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
This is not a usual biography, but an examination of the death of Albert, the Prince Consort, and Queen Victoria's reaction to it. As Helen Rappaport points out, biographies often neglect to examine the death of Albert, choosing to look at Victoria's life before or after her becoming a widow. Yet, her extreme reaction to the loss of her husband changed, and undermined, the monarchy. This book seeks to understand why Victoria reacted as she did and the effect of her intense mourning on her family and the nation.
The book begins with a joyful Christmas, 1860, with the family having an almost childish delight in present giving and Christmas trees and merry making; little knowing that the following December would lead to the loss of Prince Albert. Victoria was a woman who needed love and attention - her early life dominated by her mother, she later relied on other male figures, such as the Prime Minister, before finding ecstatic love in her marriage to Albert and later leaning on her Scottish servant John Brown. Although with no official role or title for a long time, Albert was patient and, by his death, was acting as a 'dual monarch' with Victoria, who relied upon him absolutely as her surrogate father, husband, best friend, assistant and teacher.
Victoria believed that worries about their eldest son, Albert, Prince of Wales ("poor Bertie") caused Albert to become ill. However, the book discusses various causes; from overwork to isolation. The author presents a very sympathetic picture of this man, much resented and seen as formal, prudish and reserved, yet essential to the smooth running of the monarchy. His illness and death is described in detail and his death plunged the nation into mourning. He died on the 14th December and, although it was near Christmas, the country virtually closed - theatres shut, shops shuttered and all festivities cancelled - including Dickens, who had (unwillingly you sense), to cancel lucrative public readings.
The author cleverly shows how the death of Victoria's mother prefaced the terrible grief she would show on losing Albert. She plunged the court into full mourning for two years and never allowed them out of half mourning in her life time. Although those that produced mourning clothes profited, as did Whitby, where the centre of jet jewellery was based, a year of unending grief lost the Queen sympathy. Her retreat from public life is well known, but this book details public, and private, reaction to her reclusion and it is interesting to see how her never ending grief was viewed - from sympathy to irration and resentment. As the monarchy came under pressure, the author shows how they survived the crisis of one woman who, it has to be said, seemed to enjoy prolonging her grief, using it as a ploy to avoid situations she disliked having to cope with, while being unwilling to give up her throne to her son.
There is an informative appendix on possible causes for the death of Prince Albert and the book also gives an interesting portrait of the Victorian era and how mourning was a very formal event. In a time when death is hardly mentioned, it is fascinating to learn how it was dealt with in a time when people were more likely to be nursed, and die, at home and when death came often and suddenly. This is a very interesting account of Victoria's obsession with her sainted Albert and a brilliant portrait of the Queen, very human for all her shortcomings. Lastly, I read the kindle version of this book and the illustrations were included at the end.
The book begins with a joyful Christmas, 1860, with the family having an almost childish delight in present giving and Christmas trees and merry making; little knowing that the following December would lead to the loss of Prince Albert. Victoria was a woman who needed love and attention - her early life dominated by her mother, she later relied on other male figures, such as the Prime Minister, before finding ecstatic love in her marriage to Albert and later leaning on her Scottish servant John Brown. Although with no official role or title for a long time, Albert was patient and, by his death, was acting as a 'dual monarch' with Victoria, who relied upon him absolutely as her surrogate father, husband, best friend, assistant and teacher.
Victoria believed that worries about their eldest son, Albert, Prince of Wales ("poor Bertie") caused Albert to become ill. However, the book discusses various causes; from overwork to isolation. The author presents a very sympathetic picture of this man, much resented and seen as formal, prudish and reserved, yet essential to the smooth running of the monarchy. His illness and death is described in detail and his death plunged the nation into mourning. He died on the 14th December and, although it was near Christmas, the country virtually closed - theatres shut, shops shuttered and all festivities cancelled - including Dickens, who had (unwillingly you sense), to cancel lucrative public readings.
The author cleverly shows how the death of Victoria's mother prefaced the terrible grief she would show on losing Albert. She plunged the court into full mourning for two years and never allowed them out of half mourning in her life time. Although those that produced mourning clothes profited, as did Whitby, where the centre of jet jewellery was based, a year of unending grief lost the Queen sympathy. Her retreat from public life is well known, but this book details public, and private, reaction to her reclusion and it is interesting to see how her never ending grief was viewed - from sympathy to irration and resentment. As the monarchy came under pressure, the author shows how they survived the crisis of one woman who, it has to be said, seemed to enjoy prolonging her grief, using it as a ploy to avoid situations she disliked having to cope with, while being unwilling to give up her throne to her son.
There is an informative appendix on possible causes for the death of Prince Albert and the book also gives an interesting portrait of the Victorian era and how mourning was a very formal event. In a time when death is hardly mentioned, it is fascinating to learn how it was dealt with in a time when people were more likely to be nursed, and die, at home and when death came often and suddenly. This is a very interesting account of Victoria's obsession with her sainted Albert and a brilliant portrait of the Queen, very human for all her shortcomings. Lastly, I read the kindle version of this book and the illustrations were included at the end.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was unusual in one remarkable respect - she genuinely loved him. In an age when royal marriages still played an important role in forging links between nations finding your intended husband was intelligent, handsome, diligent and genuinely devoted to you was something of an unexpected bonus. No wonder then that after twenty years of blissful married life and the birth of several healthy children Queen Victoria was plunged into a sort of perpetual winter when her beloved Albert died just before Christmas in 1861. Except, of course, things were not quite that simple....
Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession is one of the finest history books I have read in recent years. On one level it acts as a beautifully researched account of the events leading up to Albert's death and an elegant exploration of how his death shaped the monarchy, and the country, for the remainder of Queen Victoria's long reign; on another level it serves as a dramatic account of a very personal grand passion, a passion that plunged a still young woman into a spiral of despair when it came to an untimely end. History on a national scale and the emotions of one family are beautifully balanced and the narrative, as a result, works well on many different levels. Rappaport also has a gift for portraying characters - I had a new respect for Prince Albert having learnt of his unwavering devotion to Britain, his desire to shield his wife from some of the less appealing pressures of being a monarch, his interest in the arts and the sciences and his devotion as a father to his children. Other players in the drama - the sychophantic Dr Jenner for example, still bumbling and uttering soothing words to the Queen long after all hope for Albert's recovery had vanished and the loyal, down to earth, but genuinely concerned and well-meaning John Brown - all come across as individuals rather than as mere names on the periphery of somebody else's drama. The book also hits a good balance between Albert's sudden decline and death and the legacy he left behind. Victoria's protracted mourning caused a constitutional crisis with questions being asked as to whether the country any longer needed a monarchy, but her passion to preserve Albert's memory also brought about Albertopolis - the buildings and institutions such as the Royal Albert Hall, The Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum that many of us know and love today.
In addition to the bigger picture though, and for all of the excellent character sketches - dutiful, long suffering daughter Alice, bearing the brunt of her mother's grief; or affable Bertie - well-meaning but rather hopeless and a worry to his parents - what really put the book into the top flight for me was the surrounding detail: the descriptions of mourning wear, the details of the royal ceremonies; the manner in which the press approached the tragedy and the response to the Queen's protracted grief by the general public. The tragic events are put into a wider context which gives them an added depth and relevance.
It's probably apparent from the above that I absolutely loved this book. I have a fondness for anything Victorian but, even in a crowded field, this stands out as an excellent work: beautifully written; well-researched and beautifully referenced (no claims are made without being backed up by contemporary evidence) the book should keep the serious historians and the general readers equally happy. Definitely one of my books of the year.
Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession is one of the finest history books I have read in recent years. On one level it acts as a beautifully researched account of the events leading up to Albert's death and an elegant exploration of how his death shaped the monarchy, and the country, for the remainder of Queen Victoria's long reign; on another level it serves as a dramatic account of a very personal grand passion, a passion that plunged a still young woman into a spiral of despair when it came to an untimely end. History on a national scale and the emotions of one family are beautifully balanced and the narrative, as a result, works well on many different levels. Rappaport also has a gift for portraying characters - I had a new respect for Prince Albert having learnt of his unwavering devotion to Britain, his desire to shield his wife from some of the less appealing pressures of being a monarch, his interest in the arts and the sciences and his devotion as a father to his children. Other players in the drama - the sychophantic Dr Jenner for example, still bumbling and uttering soothing words to the Queen long after all hope for Albert's recovery had vanished and the loyal, down to earth, but genuinely concerned and well-meaning John Brown - all come across as individuals rather than as mere names on the periphery of somebody else's drama. The book also hits a good balance between Albert's sudden decline and death and the legacy he left behind. Victoria's protracted mourning caused a constitutional crisis with questions being asked as to whether the country any longer needed a monarchy, but her passion to preserve Albert's memory also brought about Albertopolis - the buildings and institutions such as the Royal Albert Hall, The Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum that many of us know and love today.
In addition to the bigger picture though, and for all of the excellent character sketches - dutiful, long suffering daughter Alice, bearing the brunt of her mother's grief; or affable Bertie - well-meaning but rather hopeless and a worry to his parents - what really put the book into the top flight for me was the surrounding detail: the descriptions of mourning wear, the details of the royal ceremonies; the manner in which the press approached the tragedy and the response to the Queen's protracted grief by the general public. The tragic events are put into a wider context which gives them an added depth and relevance.
It's probably apparent from the above that I absolutely loved this book. I have a fondness for anything Victorian but, even in a crowded field, this stands out as an excellent work: beautifully written; well-researched and beautifully referenced (no claims are made without being backed up by contemporary evidence) the book should keep the serious historians and the general readers equally happy. Definitely one of my books of the year.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having read some of Helen Rappaport's other books, I had high expectations of 'Magnificent Obsession'. I'm pleased to say that they were exceeded. Much has been written about Queen Victoria's long reign, but in this book Rappaport turns her keen historical eye on the year leading up to Prince Albert's death, and the two decades of dedicated mourning that followed. Victoria's own overwhelming grief is juxtaposed with that of a nation who considered the Prince Consort to be their uncrowned king.
Rappaport's account is scholarly, yet compelling and highly readable. The story is placed in unobtrusive, meticulous historical context, and the archival research is impeccable. I am an academic researcher in this field and rarely have I encountered a book that has satisfied in so many different respects.
'Magnificent Obssession' will appeal to both specialist and general readers, and is an example of historical writing at its best.
Rappaport's account is scholarly, yet compelling and highly readable. The story is placed in unobtrusive, meticulous historical context, and the archival research is impeccable. I am an academic researcher in this field and rarely have I encountered a book that has satisfied in so many different respects.
'Magnificent Obssession' will appeal to both specialist and general readers, and is an example of historical writing at its best.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excessive obsessive mourning.
Helen Rappaport's "Magnificent Obsession" is a look at a particular period in the life of Queen Victoria - the years after 1861 - the death of Prince Albert. Read more
Published 15 days ago by Jill Meyer
Very readable obsession
Very well written and researched, the author knows her subjects well. There have been many lives of Victoria and several of Prince Albert but this focuses on their romance and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by KAW
what a super read
this book is gripping, interesting and beautifully written. i could not put it down. for anyone who is interested in queen victoria, please indulge yourself in this book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by linda lancashire
Excellent Book
Very easy to read book combining history,everyday Victorian life and Queen Victoria's private life and thoughts. Well laid out and not to heavy on statistics or opinions. Read more
Published 4 months ago by SWAB
outstanding book, a must for lovers of Victorian history
We tend to think of Queen Victoria as a bunchy, prune-faced old woman but Helen Rappaport's Magnificent Obsession shows us the Queen as a happy mother of nine whose genuine... Read more
Published 4 months ago by A. Craig
Superb
This was an exceptional book both in terms of the research, the facts and the pace. Victoria's character was meticulously described and Albert given a three dimensional... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Noura
Magnificent Obsession:Victoria,Albert and the Death that changed the...
Very well written book. Couldn't put it down. Have read lots of books on Queen Victoria and this shows her life from a different perspective altogether and gives great insight into... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Julie B
Fresh and Sharp
Helen Rappaport's timely book, for the 150th anniversary of Prince Albert's death, can be recommended. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Ramsey-Hardy
excellent read
This book is a very good record of Victoria'a life as we never new it, obviously a lot of extensive research has gone into this book great pictures as well
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. P. E. Bishop
Very enjoyable....
I must have read dozens of books on Queen Victoria, her family, victorian England etc but I was very pleansantly surprised at how much new information was in this book. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Imelda
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