• The Domestic Revolution

  • How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything
  • By: Ruth Goodman
  • Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
  • Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (96 ratings)

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The Domestic Revolution

By: Ruth Goodman
Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
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Publisher's summary

"The queen of living history" (Lucy Worsley) returns with an immersive account of how English women sparked a worldwide revolution - from their own kitchens.

No single invention epitomizes the Victorian era more than the black cast-iron range. Aware that the 21st-century has reduced it to a quaint relic, Ruth Goodman was determined to prove that the hot coal stove provided so much more than morning tea: It might even have kick-started the Industrial Revolution. Wielding the wit and passion seen in How to Be a Victorian, Goodman traces the tectonic shift from wood to coal in the mid-16th century - from sooty trials and errors during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the totally smog-clouded reign of Queen Victoria. A pattern of innovation emerges as the women stoking these fires also stoked new global industries: from better soap to clean smudges to new ingredients for cooking. Laced with uproarious anecdotes of Goodman's own experience managing a coal-fired household, this fascinating book shines a hot light on the power of domestic necessity.

©2020 Ruth Goodman (P)2020 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Domestic Revolution

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Fascinating

This is a fascinating read with a rarely before given viewpoint on history. The specificity and detail may be dry from time to time but I love how it demonstrates concrete proof and draws sensible and thoughtful conclusions.

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This book is amazing

This may be the most enlightening work of social history I have ever encountered. It is a stunningly effective demonstration of why consumer decisions matter, and is fascinating m

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very enlightening to our domestic standards roots

I wish ruth goodman would have narrated it but it is still very interesting if you love wierd history

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Great Everyday History

I know it doesn't sound like the most exciting thing in the world but I am always fascinated by how people manage to get things done on practical daily needs. This is a great telling about the shift from wood to coal and everything that required to make daily life work.

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Well researched and quite informative. I loved it!

Began a bit dry, but good once the points were made. The author really knows her stuff, of course, but the amount of research is phenomenal!

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good stuff

the nation was rather calm, but the information was fascinating. I recommend it to all my friends, if only to understand some things about English cuisine.

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Deserves a better narrator.

I loved the book, the information, the pacing. I didn't love the narrator. She delivers the book as if reading the driest academic treatise ever written. Ruth Goodman is a vivacious and delightful personality, match the narrator to the author and you'd have a real winner.

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Zombie Apocalypse

If there's ever a zombie apocalypse, I want Ruth Goodman with me. That is all that needs saying.

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Superb!

I love Ruth Goodman and I thoroughly loved this book! Well written and informative. I especially enjoyed the comparisons to current living and culture. Well done Ruth!

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Fascinating

This book is a deep dive into subjects I didn't realize I wanted to learn about, but it turned out that I did! Recipes, cleaning products, interior design trends, architecture, market forces, government regulation... all tired together neatly by coal. Excellent.

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2 people found this helpful