Between 1788 and 1820, under the reckless influence of the fat, promiscuous Prince Regent, the English aristocracy set a standard of elegance and vulgarity that has not been surpassed. Venetia Murray chronicles the daily life of that glittering circle of rtakes and dandies, duchesses and courtesans, pugilists and patrons, whose scandalous conduct will entertain readers of social history and Regency romances alike, plus the new generation of Jane Austen addicts. Against a backdrop of artistic triumphs and industrial progress, working-class riots and the twenty-year war with France, Venetia Murray's sparking narrative is lavishly illustrated through rare contemporary cartoons, prints, diaries, and caricatures--some newly discovered and never before reproduced. An Elegant Madness is a book of airy delights and surprising depths that reveals a fabled age in all of its varied splendor.