England in the Age of Dickens: 1812-70

Beginning with an overview of the age of Dickens, Professor Jeremy Black guides the reader through the biography and writings of the great man to show how his work not only expressed his experience of Victorian England but also defined it, for his contemporaries and for generations to come. In some ways for us, Victorian England simply is Dickens’ England.

Key Themes Explored:

• London as the Centre
  Professor Black considers London as the heart of it all, while also examining Dickens’ influence on concepts of gender and social structure.
• Government and Power
  From the Circumlocution Office to Britain as the supreme imperial power, the book delves into Dickens’ portrayal of governance.
• Dickens and America
  A valuable account of Dickens’ relationship with America is provided, offering insights into his transatlantic influence.

Dickens' Dual Role:

Dickens not only describes a culture—popular, middle, and élite—but also creates one. It takes a historian of Professor Black’s standing to differentiate between the two and show how they inter-react.