The Fast Set: The World of Edwardian Racing

George Plumptre

Thoroughbred racing came into its own as an organized sport during the reign of Queen Victoria, and thanks to progress, was no longer the exclusive province of Society not long after the death of Edward VII. Plumptre's short, heavily illustrated work surveys the glory days of British racing with an amused, slightly jaundiced eye. It's a pleasure to dip into now and again, though the average reader isn't going to want to go through it from beginning to end.

It's not only racing fans who will cotton to this one; fans of royalwatching will also find a good deal to like here, both in the contemporary descriptions of royal life quoted by Plumptre and the obvious pleasure the contemporary press took in seeing various royalty fall to scandal and disaster throughout the era. Both groups of readers will find a good deal to like here; others may find it rather stuffy, but amusing.