Eminent Victorians is a groundbreaking work of biography that raised
the genre to the level of high art. It replaced reverence with
skepticism and Strachey's wit, iconoclasm, and narrative skill liberated
the biographical enterprise. His portraits of Cardinal Manning, Florence
Nightingale, Thomas Arnold, and General Gordon changed perceptions of
the Victorians for a generation.
Lytton Strachey's biographical essays on four "eminent Victorians"
dropped an explosive charge on Victorian England when the book was
published in 1918. It ushered in the modern biography and raised the
genre to the level of high literary art. Strachey approached his
subjects with skepticism rather than reverence, and his iconoclastic wit
and engaging narratives thrilled as well as shocked his contemporaries.
Debunking Church, Public School and Empire, his portraits of Cardinal
Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr. Arnold of Rugby, and General Gordon
of Khartoum changed perceptions of the Victorians for a generation. This
edition is unique in being fully annotated and in drawing on the full
range of Strachey's manuscript materials and literary remains.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other
valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
