Wednesday 10 July, 6.30pm-8.30pm. Cost: £20 (includes cocktails, nibbles and £2 discount on the book).
Historian Antonia Fraser comes to the Idler Academy for a salon of learned discussion based on her new book, Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill 1832, which the critics have praised as a thrilling read. Enjoy intelligent conversation and take home a signed copy of the book.
The Reform Bill of 1832 was a crossroads in British history, when Whig clashed with Tory, when Radicals like William Cobbett clashed with everyone, and when there were riots in the streets. The Bill saw the birth of the modern political system.
The book features two eventful years, much of them violent. There were riots in Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham, and wider themes of Irish and ‘negro emancipation’ underscore the narrative. These events led to a total change in the way Britain was governed.
Antonia will discuss the book with Idler editor and Cobbett fan Tom Hodgkinson. Who were the main players? How did the drama affect today’s politics? Can we see parallels with today? And did England really come close to revolution? These are the questions we’ll tackle.
More information/book tickets