The Victorians and Edwardians at Work
and
The Victorians and Edwardians at Play
by John Hannavy
Shire Books
$16.95 each

If you find the Victorian and Edwardian eras even a smidgen  interesting, you simply must read these two books. They provide a  complete and fascinating look back at the people that lived in those time periods. First, in "At Work", we learn about every occupation from actors to postmen to fishwives to pit brow lasses! Each occupation has pages of details about the tasks involved as well as photos of workers fulfilling their duties. The Victorians and Edwardians worked hard, but as evidenced in "At Play", they played just as hard. They enjoyed many of the same activities we do today, such as trips to the zoo and the races, a game of golf  or hunting, roller skating and even enjoying their pint of beer. Both books have a wealth of beautifully tinted vintage photographs and more details about their lives than you could have imagined! These books are definitely "keepers" for anyone that wishes, just a tiny bit, that they were born in a simpler, earlier time.

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The Victorian Farmer by David J Eveleigh
Shire Books
$11.95

This little book, barely more than a booklet, presents a fascinating look back at farms and their owners in England during Victorian days. I think a lot of us romanticize Victorian Days, but this book definitely removes the romantic blinders, so to speak, about life for those living in the countrysides. We learn about the various types of homes they lived in, such as once-glorious manors, medieval structures, and homes built of various stones with thatched roofs. Even the most humble farmhouses included a parlour, a room set aside for the family to relax in privacy. This is a highly interesting book, and at the end I just wished it was longer!

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The English Pleasure Garden 1660-1860 by Sarah Jane Downing
Shire Books
$12.95

Being a huge fan of the Jane Austen-esque time period and all that it entails, I found this to be a fascinating book, full of lovely artwork and tidbits of interesting details . Ms. Downing takes us on a tour of pleasure gardens from London to Bath and back. The "pleasure garden" is defined as an area for recreation that is more than just pretty flowers and plants. It also has "amusements", such as bandstands, menageries, and rides. A few of the gardens covered include the New Spring Gardens, later called the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, which was mainly flowers, lawns, sandy walkways and various treats served at the Master's House. We tour Ranelagh and its great Rotunda, modeled after the Pantheon. The garden featured concerts, the highest fashions, the Masquerade, booths for dinner, and more. We also visit smaller provincial gardens and labyrinths. This book, while small, holds a lot of information about these fascinating gardens.
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