An indepth account of the social lives of Victorian Society, written in 1977. The book includes some invaluable tidbits about social niceties of the time, including the correct way to hold one's train and a few of the unwritten rules of the Hunt. It is, however, exasperatingly short, especially since the entire last chapter is the author's rambling thoughts on whether Society (as the Victorians knew it) can survive into the 1980s.
I'd recommend this to anyone whose interest was piqued by Trollope, Collins, etc. and wants to know more about the period. ( )

This book focused mostly on the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the very structured events that defined their social world and how this was used to both control everyone in it and limit who could join in.

The writing was mostly accessible, once in awhile it did sort of descend into long and fairly boring lists but for the most part if was an entertaining look at a world that still influences ours to a small degree in terms of scheduled events and going somewhere to see and be seen, irregardless of what the event is. ( )