Perilous Question

June 1, 2013

In Fraser's latest work on British history, she deviates from biography (Mary, Queen of Scots; The Six Wives of Henry VIII) to tackle the "perilous question" of the Great Reform Bill of 1832, seeking to get at the personalities involved in this historical moment and the reactions of people at the time. A confluence of events, including the ascension of William IV to the throne in 1830, led to an environment ripe for a major change to the still-medieval system of government. Apportioning of parliamentary representation had not changed in hundreds of years, completely ignoring population growth and the Industrial Revolution, so that, for example, extinct villages had more members of Parliament than major cities. By focusing on the short period between 1830 and 1832, Fraser moves the narrative along at a quick pace in order to give, as she says, "a flavour of the times," reminding the reader that the people who lived through the period could not have known how it would all turn out. American readers unfamiliar with the major figures of the era may find this work hard to follow initially; the illustrations will help to ground them as to who was who, but a dramatis personae would have been helpful. VERDICT The subject will not necessarily draw readers in as much as a royal biography, but the book is recommended for Fraser's fans and for British history enthusiasts.--Megan H. Fraser, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, Libs.

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