Skip to main content

The Wise and Their Works

The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851

The Wise and Their Works cover

The Wise and Their Works

The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851

Quantity
Pre-order. Available Jun 25 2026
$22.00

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

Description

Bloomsbury presents The Wise and Their Works: The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851, written and read by A. N. Wilson

The Wise and Their Works
celebrates the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition in 2026.

The men who inspired the Great Exhibition of 1851 - Henry Cole, Sir Robert Peel and above all Prince Albert himself - were at the centre of an extraordinary combination of manufacturing, commercial skill and political vision which made Victorian Britain an unparalleled success story.

In this celebratory book, A. N. Wilson examines the legacy they left behind: their idealistic beliefs about free trade, decency and parliamentary democracy, and their ultimate vision of the human race at peace with prosperity spreading, while poverty and warfare were consigned to history. While their loftier ambitions may not have come to pass, these enterprising men did leave behind a little known but hugely influential organisation, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which still supports industry, science and art in the UK.

Skillfully delving into this rich and fascinating history, Wilson takes us on a journey into the heart of the progressive Victorian dream, and where it has left us today.

Product details

Published Jun 25 2026
Format Audiobook
Duration 10 hours and 2 minutes
ISBN 9781399412520
Imprint Bloomsbury Continuum
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

A. N. Wilson

A. N. Wilson is a Fellow of the Royal Society of L…

Narrator

A.N. Wilson

Related Titles

Dragons cover
$8.39 RRP $11.99
Environment: Staging