Description
During Queen Victoria's 64-year reign, no fewer than eight attempts were made on her life. Murphy follows each would-be assassin and the repercussions of their actions, illuminating daily life in Victorian England, the development of the monarchy under Queen Victoria and the evolution of the attacks in light of evolving social issues and technology.
There was Edward Oxford, a bartender who dreamed of becoming an admiral, who was simply shocked when his attempt to shoot the pregnant Queen and Prince consort made him a madman in the world's eyes. There was hunchbacked John Bean, who dreamed of historical notoriety in a publicized treason trial, and William Hamilton, forever scarred by the ravages of the Irish Potato Famine. Roderick MacLean enabled Victoria to successfully strike insanity pleas from Britain's legal process. Most threatening of all were the "dynamitards" who targeted her Majesty's Golden Jubilee-who signaled the advent of modern terrorism with their publicly focused attack.
From these cloak-and-dagger plots to Victoria's brilliant wit and steadfast courage, Shooting Victoria is historical narrative at its most thrilling, complete with astute insight into how these attacks actually revital-ized the British crown at a time when monarchy was quickly becoming unpopular abroad. While thrones across Europe toppled, the Queen's would-be assassins contributed greatly to the preservation of the mon-archy and to the stability that it enjoys today. After all, as Victoria herself noted, "It is worth being shot at-to see how much one is loved."
Author: Paul T. Murphy
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 08/28/2023
Pages: 512
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.50w x 2.10d
ISBN13: 9781605983547
ISBN10: 1605983543
BISAC Categories:
- History | Europe | Great Britain | General
- True Crime | Murder | General
About the Author
Paul Thomas Murphy is the author of Shooting Victoria, a 2012 New York Times notable book. He holds advanced degrees in Victorian Studies from Oxford and McGill Universities and the University of Colorado, where he taught both English and writing on interdisciplinary topics. He currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.
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