{"product_id":"death-grief-and-poverty-in-britain-1870-1914-social-history","title":"Death, Grief and Poverty in Britain 1870-1914 - Social History","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Death, Grief and Poverty in Britain 1870-1914 the reviewer finds a focused, well-researched study ideal for readers seeking a deeper understanding of working-class mourning in Victorian and Edwardian Britain. Julie-Marie Strange challenges the long-standing assumption that high mortality blunted grief, arguing persuasively that poverty often intensified mourning practices. This book is recommended for historians, social historians, and graduate students who want primary-text grounded analysis rather than popular summaries, and it offers rich examples drawn from fiction, journalism, official reports and personal testimony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal argument:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book overturns the idea that the poor did not mourn, showing how \u003cstrong\u003epoverty increased grief\u003c\/strong\u003e and shaped ritual expression.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRange of sources:\u003c\/strong\u003e Uses fiction, journalism, official reports and personal testimony to provide multiple perspectives on working-class mourning practices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePractical topics:\u003c\/strong\u003e Detailed chapters on care of the corpse, the funeral and the cemetery explain how everyday economic limits affected ritual choices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInfant mortality focus:\u003c\/strong\u003e A sustained treatment of high infant mortality rates clarifies how repeated loss shaped family and community commemoration.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccessible scholarship:\u003c\/strong\u003e Written for both specialists and informed readers, the prose balances archival detail with interpretive clarity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is best for students, researchers and general readers interested in British social and cultural history, especially those studying death, mourning, class and ritual. The close readings of primary sources make it valuable for seminar teaching and for anyone tracing the everyday impacts of poverty on life-cycle practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a broad survey of European funerary customs or a photographic coffee-table book should look elsewhere; this is a focused academic study rooted in textual sources and analysis rather than visual display or pan-European comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a persuasive reinterpretation of working-class mourning backed by diverse primary sources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChapters on funerary stages give concrete detail useful for research and teaching.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear writing makes complex social argument accessible to non-specialists.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFocused academic approach may feel dense to casual readers looking for light narrative.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDeath, Grief and Poverty in Britain 1870-1914\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSeries\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCambridge Social and Cultural Histories, Series Number 6\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJulie-Marie Strange\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScope\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWorking-class mourning, funerals, cemeteries and commemoration\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSources\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFiction, journalism, official reports, personal testimony\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHistorical period\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVictorian and Edwardian Britain, 1870-1914\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeath, Grief and Poverty in Britain 1870-1914 is a rigorous and rewarding study for anyone wanting to rethink assumptions about mourning among the poor. Julie-Marie Strange combines archival breadth with clear argumentation, making this a strong purchase for students and researchers of social history who value interpretation grounded in primary materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the book use primary sources?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, it draws on fiction, contemporary journalism, official reports and personal testimony throughout to support its arguments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this suitable for undergraduate courses?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, it is suitable for upper-level undergraduates and postgraduate courses in social and cultural history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it cover all of Britain or specific regions?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe study addresses patterns across Britain in the period 1870-1914 rather than providing a region-by-region atlas.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Julie-Marie Strange","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48206789640411,"sku":"0521838576","price":123.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/51hSASYQ5CL._SL1000.jpg?v=1769812375","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/death-grief-and-poverty-in-britain-1870-1914-social-history","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}