--- product_id: 16920989 title: "The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes" brand: "henry mayhew" price: "$40.65" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/16920989-the-london-underworld-in-the-victorian-period-authentic-first-person store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes **Brand:** henry mayhew **Price:** $40.65 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes by henry mayhew - **How much does it cost?** $40.65 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/16920989-the-london-underworld-in-the-victorian-period-authentic-first-person) ## Best For - henry mayhew enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted henry mayhew brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Henry MayhewThe London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes ## Images ![The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TreBnCxSL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great historic language, depressing themes. *by S***Y on Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2017* This book is a selection of essays from different social scientists, doctors, concerned parties of the time discussing social problems in London in the Victorian era. The language is a lot like Charles Dickens - flowery and sophisticated, using archaic terminology and metaphors. It's a fun challenge to read that kind of thing. I found myself looking up words as well as some history. It's amazing to read a woman's account of having a child out of wedlock and how she was relieved when the baby finally died of malnutrition because she really was never going to be able to raise him with any kind of life ahead of him. She settled into a meager existence of making do and having "my gin." There's so much in that story that's different from now - she had no institutional options for help and was not held criminally responsible. Yet there's so much that's the same - the satisfaction with achieving nothing more than making it through another day to get another drink.The thing that made me put down the book while reading only the first chapter was the misogyny and sexism. The author of that section, who's a doctor examining the problem of prostitution in London, keeps saying that women have only one thing to offer in the world - their virginity - and that women are all basically whores. Those ideas are bad enough now but to see them in fuller force back then and imagining them slicing all the way through history was just a little too much to take. I might try again to push past it and think of the hope for the future. Maybe the part examining thievery would be interesting. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Educational and Fascinating *by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2011* I ordered this book as part of my ongoing obsession with the Victorian era. (Blame Sarah Waters.)The accounts are fascinating in and of themselves. I was ready for a lot of one-sided moralising from the author, Mayhew, but he has (had?) a very modern approach to the plight of London's poor. It was a pleasant surprise to realise that people of the era could see and understand the social injustice of the time.Having read the words of the beggars, thieves and prostitutes, it is difficult to understand how some of them (particularly the prostitutes) could have done anything other than what they did. I feel almost as if I know them now - this book is the next best thing to actually meeting and speaking with these people.Best of all I never felt like I was ploughing through the book, working to get an understanding of the people. I raced through the book, fascinated. Later I went back, re-reading certain parts.More than worth the price. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Difficult *by M***N on Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2020* This is a purported "scientific" study of London so be prepared to find a difficult read. Paragraphs are quite lengthy and many statistics are cited. It's not an easy read. It isn't something to curl up and zip through. If you've the patience to absorb the numbers, you might get through it without falling asleep. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/16920989-the-london-underworld-in-the-victorian-period-authentic-first-person](https://www.desertcart.us/products/16920989-the-london-underworld-in-the-victorian-period-authentic-first-person) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-11*