I also learnt a lot about Georgiana’s life that the film about her leaves out or does differently. I learnt a huge amount from reading this book, about the state of the monarchy in the late 18th century, the history of Whig politics, and much more. Far from obsessing over her subject, Foreman builds up a fabulous account where Georgiana acts as the central point around which the politics of the era, the behaviour of the aristocracy and even the French Revolution are arranged, with all events seen through Georgiana’s eyes as far as possible. If I was going to learn about the history of this country I missed at school, this seemed like a great place to start.Īmanda Foreman’s biography, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire is impeccable. I’ve seen the film The Duchess, which is based on this biography, several times and although I was quite aware that what I was seeing was an overall impression of her life with some artistic embellishments here and there, I was entranced by her and the world she lived in. This is followed by a whistle-stop tour of the 20th Century, which revolves almost entirely around the two world wars and the rise of Nazi Germany.

We never studied the Georgians or the Regency period at school for some reason the syllabus of GCSE History involves bouncing straight from the Tudors into the Civil War, then on to the Victorians via a brief stop at the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. One of the things I promised myself I would do this year was read more history, and learn about periods of time I seem to have omitted in previous studies.

Amanda foreman duchess