Politics and Reviewers

Book excerpt: Publisher description: Quarterly reviewing represented the pinnacle of journalistic activity in the early Victorian period. Under the guise of book review, leading writers presented and debated their views on all important subjects from literature, history and fine arts to science, economics and political affairs. The two main quarterlies were aligned with the two major political parties: the Edinburgh Review with the Whigs and the Quarterly Review with the Tories. This book explores the day to day operations of the Reviews, the extended rivalry between them, the recruiting of reviewers, and the writing of review articles. Through extensive use of archival sources, this book documents the important influence of these quarterlies on their times.