Fathers of the Victorians

the long version

"This is the story of a movement of national reform that took place in England from the 1780s to the early years of the Princess Victoria, or roughly through the lifetime of Lord Byron. Begun by a handful of men and women shocked at the decay of English religion and the corruption of English morals, it grew rapidly into huge proportions. In thirty years it had covered England with reforming institutions and made its leader one of the foremost moral figures of the world. It left a lasting impression on all English-speaking countries." [Foreword].