After the Victorians - The World Our Parents Knew was also received most favourably by critics. Wilson again achieved the accolade that his book was a 'portrait of an age' and this is no empty platitude. Encompassing the bloodshed of the two world wars, seismic shifts in world power and the struggle of human life in all its complexity, After the Victorians is an overview of the first five decades of the 20th Century.
A Concise History of 1900-1953A
A brief survey of the chapter headings of After the Victorians reveals an intriguing list of titles. Starting with Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Kaiser and ending with The Hereditary Principle,it is clear from the outset that this is not going to be just another book about the early decades of the 20th Century. Rather, as Jane Ridley of the Spectator commented: 'Written with verve and wit, this book is utterly compelling - erudite, intelligent and wise.'
1901 The End of an Era
One of the most compelling aspects of Wilson's writing is the way in which he enriches historical fact with anecdotes told in an accessible yet thoroughly riveting manner. He manages to convey the minutiae of history without ever becoming tedious - far from it. In fact, the highly readable prose in which he tells some of the most famous stories from modern history is made thrilling, even poignant at times by the unlikely juxtaposition of certain events and/or people.
The book begins with a reference to Dr Sigmund Freud who published in 1900, 'one of the most extraordinary and revolutionary texts ever to come from a human brain.' Wilson makes a smooth transition from a discussion of Freud's theory of the Oedipus Complex to a description of Edward VII, successor to Queen Victoria thus clearly demarcating the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of the Edwardian.
Wilson reveals the disregard which Edward showed for his parents' 'old rubbish'; photographs, papers and all manner of relics were burned and thrown out in the new King's haste to destroy the memory of his parents. This evocative image provides a clear metaphor to the reader who gathers that this will set the pace for events to come - out with the old order and in with the new.
1953 Queen Elizabeth II
In 1953, the same year as the discovery of DNA, the old King, George VI passed away leaving his young daughter, the Princess Elizabeth to succeed him. In his inimitable style, Wilson moves seamlessly from the groundbreaking scientific discovery to the coronation, taking in Mary Norton's classic children's book The Borrowers on the way. It is testament to Wilson's assured writing and incredible knowledge of history that he is able to weave such threads together.
After the Victorians is a 'provocative and spectacularly enjoyable history of the first half of the century' (Nicholas Hytner, Sunday Telegraph), which, like its prequel, The Victorians, provides insight into an era in an entirely fresh, original way.
Wilson A N, After the Victorians published by Arrow Books, 2006 ISBN 0-09-945187-5
 |
