Prologue -- 1858 in history. Moments of consequence ; The rise of Disraeli ; Medicine and marriage ; Literature and art -- May 1858. Dickens in distress ; Derby Day ; Marriage mischief -- June 1858, part I. Darwin and the pursuit of science ; Dickens dissolves his marriage ; Midsummer madness ; Meltdown in Clubland -- June 1858, part II. The silver Thames ; Queen Victoria, Cruiser, and the Great Eastern ; Crinolineomania ; More marriage troubles ; Darwin's dilemma -- July 1858. Darwin in distress ; "Mad" wives and vengeful husbands ; Disraeli tames the Thames ; Rothschild enters the Commons at last -- July-August 1858. Hot heads at the Garrick Club ; Dickens on tour ; The exploits of Dickens's Mr Stryver ; Disraeli's whitebait dinner -- The aftermath of the hot summer. The fallout from the Garrick Club affair ; Success and embarrassment for Dickens ; The end of the Robinson case ; Darwin triumphant -- Epilogue. The year in pantomime ; One hot summer's consequences.
Summary:
While 1858 in London may have been noteworthy for its broiling summer months and the related stench of the sewage-filled Thames River, the year is otherwise little remembered. And yet, historian Rosemary Ashton reveals in this compelling microhistory, 1858 was marked by significant, if unrecognized, turning points. For ordinary people, and also for the rich, famous, and powerful, the months from May to August turned out to be a summer of consequence.
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