{"product_id":"the-wise-and-their-works-a-n-wilson-9781399412513","title":"The Wise and Their Works: The Legacy of the Great Exhibition of 1851","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Wise and Their Works \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ecelebrates the 175th anniversary of the Great Exhibition in 2026.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe men who inspired the Great Exhibition of 1851 - Henry Cole, Sir Robert Peel and above all Prince Albert himself - were at the centre of an extraordinary combination of manufacturing, commercial skill and political vision which made Victorian Britain an unparalleled success story. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this celebratory book, A. N. Wilson examines the legacy they left behind: their idealistic beliefs about free trade, decency and parliamentary democracy, and their ultimate vision of the human race at peace with prosperity spreading, while poverty and warfare were consigned to history. While their loftier ambitions may not have come to pass, these enterprising men did leave behind a little known but hugely influential organisation, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which still supports industry, science and art in the UK. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSkillfully delving into this rich and fascinating history, Wilson takes us on a journey into the heart of the progressive Victorian dream, and where it has left us today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e A. N. Wilson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1399412515\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781399412513\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bloomsbury Continuum\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/18\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 304\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 2.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.80h x 7.50w x 1.10d","brand":"A. N. Wilson","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":49083647885567,"sku":"9781399412513","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-wise-and-their-works-a-n-wilson-9781399412513","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}