Immerse yourself in the vanished world inhabited by Austen's contemporaries. Packed with detail, and anecdotes, this is an intimate exploration of how the middle and upper classes lived from 1775, the year of Austen's birth, to the coronation of George IV in 1820. Sue Wilkes skilfully conjures up all aspects of daily life within the period, drawing on contemporary diaries, illustrations, letters, novels, travel literature and archives. Were all unmarried affluent men really 'in want of a wife?' Where would a young lady seek adventures? Would 'taking the waters' at Bath and other spas kill or cure you? Was Lizzy Bennet bitten by bed-bugs while travelling? What would you wear to a country ball, or a dance at Almack's? Would Mr Darcy have worn a corset? What hidden horrors lurked in elegant Regency houses?