Queen Victoria Personal History

Christopher Hibbert’s acclaimed biography of Queen Victoria is as impressive and authoritative as the great woman herself. "[Christopher Hibbert] is our outstanding popular historian… This book is, I think, his masterpiece… he has portrayed her as physically and imaginatively passionate, a loveable monster who, for all her extreme oddness, came to embody the aspirations and character not only of a nation, but of an Empire which embraced half the globe." A.N. Wilson, DAILY MAIL "A deliciously gossipy but thoughtful biography… an exceptional portrait of a homely, formidably strong-willed women who used her power both admirably and abominably." MIRANDA SEYMOUR, SUNDAY TIMES He is a master technician… [Hibbert] succeeds in weaving a vast tangle of sources into a driving story. It is a testimony to his skill that he manages to make his 557-page book feel, If anything, a tad too short… it meticulously fleshes out the little butterball of a woman who came to dominate not only her own time, but ours as well." KATHRYN HUGHES, DAILY TELEGRAPH "Christopher Hibbert is the doyen of court historians… a lively, is episodic account of a remarkable woman's life… he is particularly strong on the stifling dullness of court life, Victoria's extraordinary relations with her Scottish and Indian servants, and her absolute domination of her children… The book is handsomely produced and, unusually for today, has a rich selection of fascinating footnotes." SARAH BRADFORD, EVENING STANDARD "An unrivalled portrait of a marriage… she emerges from his compelling narrative a more real, complex and fascinating figure than ever before." JACKIE WULLSCHLAGER, FINANCIAL TIMES