Cart
Free Shipping in the UK
Proud to be B-Corp

The Domestic Revolution Ruth Goodman

The Domestic Revolution By Ruth Goodman

The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman


£13.50
New RRP £20.00
Condition - Like New
Only 1 left

Summary

For the first time, social historian and TV presenter Ruth Goodman uncovers how the development of the coal-fired domestic range fundamentally changed our world - and how the Industrial Revolution truly started in the kitchen.

The Domestic Revolution Summary

The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman

'Ruth is the queen of living history - long may she reign.'
Lucy Worsley

A large black cast iron range glowing hot, the kettle steaming on top, provider of everything from bath water and clean socks to morning tea: it's a nostalgic icon of a Victorian way of life. But it is far more than that. In this book, social historian and TV presenter Ruth Goodman tells the story of how the development of the coal-fired domestic range fundamentally changed not just our domestic comforts, but our world.

The revolution began as far back as the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when London began the switch from wood to coal as its domestic fuel - a full 200 years before any other city. It would be this domestic demand for more coal that would lead to the expansion of mining, engineering, construction and industry: the Domestic Revolution kick-started, pushed and fuelled the Industrial Revolution.

There were other radical shifts. Coal cooking was to change not just how we cooked but what we cooked (causing major swings in diet), how we washed (first our laundry and then our bodies) and how we decorated (spurring the wallpaper industry). It also defined the nature of women's and men's working lives, pushing women more firmly into the domestic sphere. It transformed our landscape and environment (by the time of Elizabeth's death in 1603, London's air was as polluted as that of modern Beijing). Even tea drinking can be brought back to coal in the home, with all its ramifications for the shape of the empire and modern world economics.

Taken together, these shifts in our day-to-day practices started something big, something unprecedented, something that was exported across the globe and helped create the world we live in today.

About Ruth Goodman

Ruth Goodman is a social historian and has presented a number of BBC series, including Victorian Farm, Wartime Farm, Tudor Monastery Farm and, most recently, Full Steam Ahead. She is also a regular expert presenter on The One Show. As well as the books accompanying her many series, she has written the critically acclaimed How to be a Victorian, How to be a Tudor and How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain. Ruth will be available for PR.

Additional information

GOR012192712
9781782438502
1782438505
The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman
Used - Like New
Hardback
Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
2020-04-16
352
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

Customer Reviews - The Domestic Revolution