The book shows the nation at work and play during a time of great contrast and extraordinary change

The book tells the story of an era that is now gone but not forgotten

The book covers the time when the Britain of the Victorians was swept away in a tide of technology and by two terrible world wars that had engulfed Europe

The Victorian era saw revolutionary breakthroughs in the arts and sciences, which shaped the world as we know it today

The Victorian period of literature roughly coincides with the years that Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain and its Empire (1837-1901)

During this era, Britain was transformed from a predominantly rural, agricultural society into an urban, industrial one

The working class consisted of unskilled laborers who worked in brutal and unsanitary conditions

The Victorians liked to have their social classes clearly defined

The working class was divided into three layers, the lowest being "working men" or laborers, then the "intelligent artisan", and above him the "educated working man"