Love and Marriage in the Age of Jane Austen

Rory Muir is a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide and a renowned expert on British history. His books include Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune and his two-part biography of Wellington, which won the SAHR Templer Medal.

“Muir’s well-informed, entertaining book surveys romantic love and marriage among the real-life counterparts of Austen’s characters in an England threatened with invasion and agitated by calls for political reform.”—Jenny McAuley, Financial Times“Digs wide and deep into the historical record to provide a documentary account of what falling in love and living happily ever after really involved in late Georgian England.”—Kathryn Hughes, Sunday Times“[Muir] draws on fiction, diaries, letters, biographies and the work of social historians to present a panorama of experiences of love and marriage in gentry and aristocratic circles.”—Norma Clarke, Times Literary Supplement“A tapestry of sources and stories . . . one for the shelves of both historians and hobbyists alike.”—Maggie Kalenak, The Historian“A delightful new book. . . . Animated by much original reading, here we see a colourful age in great colour.”—Unseen Histories“The stories are compelling, and a liberal sprinkling of contemporary quotations makes this an absorbing read for anyone with an affection for the age.”—Felicity Day, Who Do You Think You Are?“Muir evokes the romantic life of Regency Britain in all its variety, from flirtations and honeymoons to children and divorce.”—Andrea Valentino, The Critic“There was more happiness in the married state among Jane Austen’s contemporaries than you might think. . . . A serious and worthwhile study.”—Maggie Lane, Jane Austen Society Newsletter“Succeeds on every count. . . . [Muir’s] energetic prose and meticulously researched narrative invite readers to step into the real historical world that shaped Austen’s ideas. It’s a world worth entering.”—LuElla D’Amico, Current“Fascinating and enjoyable to read . . . thoroughly recommended.”—Robyn Williams, Sensibilities“An entertaining and informative book.”—Harriet Devine, Shiny New Books“Rory Muir’s comprehensive, elegant, and incisive book will delight readers by shedding new light on a subject that we thought we knew everything about, but didn’t.”—Paula Byrne, author of The Real Jane Austen“An insightful exploration of Regency hearts and their entanglements. Muir’s elegant yet compassionate history vividly reveals the realities of love and marriage, along a spectrum from difficulty to delight.”—Hilary Davidson, author of Jane Austen’s Wardrobe