Illustrated with over sixty woodcuts by Hone's frequent collaborator, George Cruikshank, this book reveals the writer's commitment to such issues as parliamentary reform, religious liberty, reform of asylums, and freedom of the press, while conveying the many dimensions of his humane personality.".

The Pursuit of Pleasure presents the figures of the rambler and the cyprian, the Eighteenth Century precursors to the Parisian flGneur and prostitute. The urban spaces traced by these figures were the clubs, sporting venues, operas, assembly rooms, streets and arcades of central London.Drawing on critical theory, geography and philosophy, The Pursuit of Pleasure extends and critiques the discipline of architectural history from a feminist perspective. The gendering of public space is considered to be a complex and shifting series of moves and looks between men and women, constructed and represented through spatial and social relations of consumption, display and exchange.Illustrated with contemporary prints and drawings, The Pursuit of Pleasure is an extraordinarily rich analysis of the gendered issues of public space at the birth of the modern metropolis.

What were the sources of pleasure during the eighteenth century? The range of pleasurable activities from the bawdy and perverse to the refined are brought together in this collection of essays, which is the first to look at both the philosophy and practice of the pleasure-seeking Georgians. Experts on the arts of pleasure will luxuriate over Italian opera, gastronomic delights, the pleasures of Gothic terror, seduction, and the revellers of the bizarre London clubs.

Royal Poxes and Potions is a fascinating look at the relationship between monarchs and their doctors and reveals the complex and influential position that they held. Acclaimed biographer Raymond Lamont Brown casts light on a previously overlooked aspect of the monarchy and the secrets it conceals. From the instigation of the royal doctor in medieval times and up to the present day, the tales of secrets, murder, medical incompetence and revolutionary operations make compelling reading. Included here is Sir William Gull, court physician to Queen Victoria, who was a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, and Sir Frederick Treves, who was not only court physician to the four succeeding monarchs, but was also the man who helped to rescue the Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick, from a fairground freak show.

"Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne (née Elizabeth Milbanke; 1750 ? 1818) was one of the most influential of the political hostesses of the extended Regency period, and the wife of Whig politician Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne. She was the mother of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amongst several other influential children. Lady Melbourne was known not just for her political influence but also for her friendships and romantic relationships with members of London society including Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, George, Prince of Wales and Lord Byron."--Wikipedia.

Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognised. This book - split into four sections: Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and, perhaps most fascinating, Royal Loose Ends - is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children.