Author Description

Documenting the lives of the great and the good, the first obituaries appeared in London’s The Times during the Victorian era. Gathered in this intriguing volume are the obituaries of some of the most significant and influential scientists, social reformers, composers, writers, and politicians of the 19th century, including Charles Dickens, William Gladstone, Karl Marx, Louis Pasteur, Christina Rossetti, Thomas Cook, and Oscar Wilde. Insightful commentary has been added to reveal the subtexts and omissions from the original texts. Arranged according to the date of their deaths and illustrated with rare pictures from The Times archive, these lives offer a fascinating perspective on the society, people, and values of one of the most interesting periods in history.