A really, really refreshing victorian history. This book follows the history and evolution of Victoria's monarchy, the British government, and the British empire more broadly through the stories of the boys and men who attempted to assassinate the Queen multiple times in her reign. Against a backdrop of political uncertainty, when monarchies were tottering all over Europe and revolution after revolution turned royal families into refugees, assassination attempts were inevitable. But what made the would-be assassins of Victoria, unlike that of her contemporary king of France, shoot unloaded pistols? Why were they teenagers and not grown men, or suffering from mental illness? Murphy explains this all superbly and tracks, through diaries, letters, legal documents, and newspaper clippings, exactly what made Victoria such a strange target for a monarch and what happened as a result. This book follows, to a certain extent, royal history, social history, the history of medicine and especially of mental illness, the British empire, relationships with Ireland, and many other issues of the era. If you want something that is easy to read but extremely deep and with a unique perspective, I would highly recommend giving this book a shot.