Aristocratic Vice

The Attack on Duelling, Suicide, Gambling, and Adultery in Eighteenth-century England

Andrew Donna T.

"Attack on Aristocratic Vice" examines the outrage against – and attempts to end – the four vices associated with the aristocracy in 18th century in England: duelling, suicide, adultery, and gambling. All four, it was commonly believed, owed their origin to pride. Many felt the law did not go far enough to punish perpetrators when they were members of the elite. In this exciting new book, Andrew explores each vice's treatment by the press at the time and shows how a century of public attacks on aristocratic vices promoted a sense of "class superiority" among the soon-to-emerge British middle class.

About the Author

Donna Andrew is professor emerita of history and the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Reviews

"Donna Andrew continues to illuminate the mental landscapes of eighteenth-century Britain... No historian of the period has made greater or more effective use of the newspaper press as a source for cultural history than she. This book is evidently the product of a great deal of work and is likely to stimulate further work" – Joanna Innes, University of Oxford

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