Eminent Victorians

De: Lytton Strachey

Narrado por: Jonathan Keeble

Duración: 11 h y 15 m

Resumen del Editor

Eminent Victorians, Lytton Strachey's wonderfully witty and Wildean quartet of biographies, stands out as one of the most radical and groundbreaking works of its genre. With relentless precision, Strachey explores the lives of four exemplars of the Victorian age: Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Arnold and General Gordon, irreverently bringing to light the flaws, strengths, ambitions and hypocrisies of these treasured legends.

The combination of thrilling and imaginative narratives with Strachey's ironic reckoning shocked many contemporary readers of the time, and even altered the course of biography, making a powerful case for its elevation to high art.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

Public Domain (P)2020 Naxos Audiobooks

Great Biographic Writing

Learn about the heroes of the Victorian period. Very well written and read. I enjoyed this book.

A Cynical, Witty Critique of Four Victorian Heroes

Perhaps the most celebrated early 20th century biographies of British heroes, this revisionist collection of short profiles retains its charm. The last profile of General Gordon, the English martyr of Khartoum, depicts his military career and religious zeal.

As religious wars continue across the Mideast, this retelling of the battle between a 19th jihadist - the Mehdi - and a British imperialist - General Gordon- seems exceptionally poignant. It goes far beyond the 1965 Hollywood film “Khartoum” in providing the historical context and odd personal obsessions of Chinese Gordon.

Strachey, a gifted, sarcastic writer, highlights revealing details to both celebrate and mock Gordon. Perhaps the least traditional of the four biographies, it’s also the most satisfying in this audiobook.