Rating: 
Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: Although this book relys heavily an just a few sources it is still a good jumping off point if you have little or no knowledge on the lifestyles of people during this time period. The text covers everything from lighting to mourning and everything in between. I would not rely totally on this book as reference material in research but it is good as a tool with other books to back up information that is not covered in depth here.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, fascinating, and comprehensive. A winning combo!
Review: For anyone writing about England during the 19th century, or anyone who is simply interested in this wonderfully rich time and place, this is a must-have book. Ms. Hughes is a first-rate researcher and her work sparkles with wit, wisdom, and passion. Brava, Kristine...and thanks! -Emma Jensen
Rating: 
Summary: Incomplete
Review: I am very much interested in the Regency and I thought this book will be a quick reference guide. Most of the book is Victorian. You may find snippets of Regency here and there, but as a good reference guide, it is most certainly not! For good reference, get "What Jane Austen ate..." Most Disappointing!
Rating:
Summary: Inaccuracies and poor writing make this a no-go...
Review: I bought this expecting it would offer some additional insights to my `academic hobby' of Victorian Domestic Science. No such luck; Hughes' book didn't tell me a thing. It _did_ contain a number of things that differed from several other period sources, though. It also frequently ignores the class issue, leaving the hapless reader to (usually incorrectly) assume that various things didn't...vary much from the lower to upper classes. As other reviewers have noted out, the time span is a bit confused; Victorianism did not die out in 1901 but the book rarely even ventures to the last years of the 1800s, and while I don't know much of the Regency period, it seems incomplete there as well. No room is left for comparative analysis, and at times one is left wondering if X changed at all over ninety years. And while this seems petty, I simply did not enjoy the writing style. It is not sufficiently well-organized to be a pure reference work, and not sufficiently well-written to be an enjoyable read. Persons looking for the latter should probably look for the aforementioned "What Jane Austen ate, etc" title, and persons looking for the former are well advised to spend their money adding to their collections of reprints or original texts from their period of interest.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Be Beat For The Price!
Review: I realize that there are books that are better and more complete about life in Victorian England (and Regency), but, for the novice or one who just wants the basics, this book can't be beat. I felt it was well written and very understandable. I guess what I really like best about it is that it gives me a whole lot of information about the lower middle class and the poorer classes, especially country folk, which helps tremendously in piecing together the way my ancestors may have lived. I use this book (and the others in this series) quite often in my research.
Rating:
Summary: Good but mostly sporadic
Review: It is impossible to sum up social life and culture for the 19th century, and authors simply should not try. Hughes' book is a good example. It certainly has many pieces of useful information for both writers and scholars--I never knew that the Adelphi Theater was only open from October to April, for example--and Hughes' tracing of certain topics such as indoor lighting or the railways are concise and intriguing. Unfortunately, she doesn't explain her terms nearly enough, and the quotations from contemp- orary sources seem overused--as though all of those period recipes were simply padding out space. There's an entire paragraph devoted to the etiquette of "cutting" which is completely incomprehensible if you are not first aware of the actual meaning of social cuts. Also, Hughes does not really work within context well; she doesn't seem to understand that etiquette books were not so much used by those in the upper circles, but by those aspiring to move upwards, or that the very reason for a plethora of etiquette books implies that they are needed--in other words, people are *not* following proper etiquette in their daily lives. The writer of Victorian-based historical novels would do well to have this book on her reference shelf, but the casual reader will do better to read Sally Mitchell's Daily Life in Victorian England. This book would have been much more useful if it had narrowed its topic and explored them in greater depth.
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous Book for Writers
Review: Kristine Hughes knows her topic! This book seems much more historically accurate than What Jane Austen Ate... and it is easy to find the desired materials in Hughes' book. Hughes is a well-known researcher and speaker, and her knowledge shines in this book. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Emphsis is on Victorian not Regency life
Review: My major area of interest is the Regency period and this book, though well written and researched, does not include much about the Regency period. It is full of interesting facts after about 1835, but there is not much information about life, marriage, transportation, "cant" or dress before the 1830's.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reference
Review: Not just for writers, but historians, hobbyists, and anyone interested in the small details of life in other times. This volume, like the others in the series, includes chapters (with figures and illustrations) on food, clothing, family life, work, education, religion, leisure activities, social and political history, etc. Great for browsing, great for research. Not the strongest volume in the series, but well recommended.
Rating:
Summary: For Victorian era writers only
Review: The title should have been "A Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Victorian England". While there is a wealth of information on Victorian era customs and daily life, there is very little on the Regency period. Even when the book makes general statements these statements are often applicable only to the Victorian era. As a Regency writer myself, I would caution other writers not to rely on this book for Regency period information. There were great differences between the Regency and Victorian eras, obvious differences such as changes in fashion, or the rapid industrializiation, and more subtle differences such as transformations in public and private behavior. Recommended for Victorian authors, but for Regency authors you would be better served to seek out a copy of "The Regency Companion" by Laudermilk & Hamlin.
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