Ruth Goodman (Author of How to Be a Victorian)

Ruth Goodman鈥檚 Followers (648)

Ruth Goodman

Born

in Cardiff, The United Kingdom

October 05, 1963

Website

Genre

History, Cooking, Food & Wine

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Ruth Goodman is a social and domestic historian working with museums, theatre, television and educational establishments. She has presented (and consulted on) several highly successful television series including 鈥淭he Edwardian Farm鈥�, 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥�, 鈥淰ictorian Farm Christmas鈥� 鈥淭ales from the Green Valley鈥� and 鈥淭he Victorian Pharmacy鈥� (all for primetime BBC Two) as well as presenting a variety of films for The One Show and Coast. 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥� was one of BBC Two鈥檚 biggest hits in 2009 and was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. The book of the series, also called 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥� went to No. 1 in The Sunday Times鈥檚 best seller list. These were followed by The Wartime Farm which regularly attracted up to 3 millio Ruth Goodman is a social and domestic historian working with museums, theatre, television and educational establishments. She has presented (and consulted on) several highly successful television series including 鈥淭he Edwardian Farm鈥�, 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥�, 鈥淰ictorian Farm Christmas鈥� 鈥淭ales from the Green Valley鈥� and 鈥淭he Victorian Pharmacy鈥� (all for primetime BBC Two) as well as presenting a variety of films for The One Show and Coast. 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥� was one of BBC Two鈥檚 biggest hits in 2009 and was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. The book of the series, also called 鈥淭he Victorian Farm鈥� went to No. 1 in The Sunday Times鈥檚 best seller list. These were followed by The Wartime Farm which regularly attracted up to 3 million viewers per week and was also accompanied by a successful book of the same title. In 2013 she presented Tudor Monastery Farm and earlier in the year 鈥楾he Wonder of Dogs鈥� (BBC 2). She was the Judge on BBC 1鈥檚鈥�24 Hours in the Past鈥� and is the historical expert on BBC 2鈥檚鈥淚nside the Factory: How our Favourite Foods are Made (now in its 8th series). Ruth is currently Presenter on Channel 5鈥檚鈥淥n the Farm鈥�.

As well as her tv tie-in books, she has published 鈥淗ow to be a Victorian鈥� and 鈥淗ow to be a Tudor鈥� (Pub: Penguin Viking) both critically and commercially successful in the UK and abroad including the US and China. Her most recent books are 鈥淗ow to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain鈥� was published in 2018 by Michael O鈥橫ara and 鈥淭he Domestic Revolution 鈥� How the introduction of Coal into our homes changed Everything鈥� was published in 2020.

As well as her television work, Ruth offers advisory services, lectures and holds practical workshops around the country. As a social historian she works with a whole range of people, institutions and museums such as The Weald and Downland, The Globe Theatre, Shakespeare鈥檚 Birthplace Trust, the National Trust and the heritage and drama departments of several universities.

Her particular interest is the domestic; how we lived our daily lives and why we did the things we did. Also how seemingly little things change the world. Our day to day routines have a huge cumulative effect on the environment; our shopping habits can sway the world鈥檚 patterns of trade and how we organise and run our family life sets the political tone of nations.

As Ruth says 鈥淲e matter. How our ancestors 鈥� ordinary men, women and children 鈥� solved the nitty gritty problems of everyday life made the world what it is today鈥�.

Ruth鈥檚 consultancy work covers media (including assisting make up artists with Elizabethan cosmetics in 鈥楽hakespeare in Love鈥�, information on personal hygiene practices for Channel 4鈥檚 Colonial House), interpretation for museums and heritage sites, designing exhibitions and training staff. Her courses and lectures cover everything from 鈥楬istory of Eating鈥�, 鈥榁ictorian Cleaning鈥�, 鈥楾he Cycle of Life鈥�, 鈥楤abies and Birth鈥�, 鈥楳edicine 鈥� A Consumer鈥檚 Guide鈥� and 鈥楢 Good Death鈥�. Her favoured periods are Tudor, Edwardian, Elizabethan and Victorian. ...more

Combine Editions
Ruth Goodman鈥檚 books

Average rating: 4.12 · 16,024 ratings · 2,262 reviews · 14 distinct works 鈥� Similar authors

	How to Be a Victorian 4.25 avg rating — 7,346 ratings — published 2013 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life 4.06 avg rating — 4,625 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Behave Badly in Elizabethan England: A Guide for Knaves, Fools, Harlots, Cuckolds, Drunkards, Liars, Thieves, and Braggarts 3.72 avg rating — 2,205 ratings — published 2018 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Domestic Revolution 4.17 avg rating — 777 ratings — published 2020 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wartime Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands 4.42 avg rating — 268 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Victorian Farm: Rediscovering Forgotten Skills by Alex Langlands, Ruth Goodman, Peter Ginn 4.38 avg rating — 183 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tudor Monastery Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, Tom Pinfold 4.24 avg rating — 169 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Victorian Pharmacy: Rediscovering Home Remedies and Recipes by Jane Eastoe, Ruth Goodman (Foreword) 3.94 avg rating — 175 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Victorian Farm Kitchen 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Story of Tideways 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Ruth Goodman…

Series by Ruth Goodman

How to Be (2 books)
by

Ruth Goodman

4.18 avg rating — 11,971 ratings

Quotes by Ruth Goodman (?)

“sealing the pores were undertaken, famously with a horse. The poor animal was carefully varnished all over with several layers of shellac (the same solution that is used to varnish furniture) to ensure a complete seal, and died within hours. It was assumed that it had asphyxiated, thus 鈥榩roving鈥� that the skin played an important role in respiration as well as perspiration.”
― Ruth Goodman, How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life

3 likes

“My own historical laundry experiences have led me to see the powered washing machine as one of the great bulwarks of women鈥檚 liberation, an invention that can sit alongside contraception and the vote in the direct impact it has had on changing women鈥檚 lives.”
― Ruth Goodman, How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life

1 likes

“Right next door to the bear gardens on the south bank of the Thames in the last years of Elizabeth's reign sat the main theatres of the day. Permanent theatres were brand sparking new, the very first not appearing until 1576. Throughout the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I, theatre had been a mobile activity, and a largely amateur one.”
― Ruth Goodman, How To Be a Tudor: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life

1 likes

See all Ruth Goodman's quotes »

Polls

What book about the Tudors or Tudor England would you like to have as our September 2019 Group Read?

How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman

11 votes, 19.0%

The King's Pearl: Henry VIII and His Daughter Mary by Melita Thomas

9 votes, 15.5%

Young Bess by Margaret Irwin

7 votes, 12.1%

The Queen's Bed: An Intimate History of Elizabeth's Court by Anna Whitelock

7 votes, 12.1%

The White Rose Murders by Paul Doherty

7 votes, 12.1%

The Spanish Bride by Laurien Gardner

6 votes, 10.3%

Bosworth 1485: The Battle that Transformed England by Michael K. Jones

5 votes, 8.6%

Mistress Blanche: Queen Elizabeth I's Confidante by Ruth E. Richardson

3 votes, 5.2%

Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh

2 votes, 3.4%

Tudor Dawn: Henry Tudor is ready to take the crown... by David Field

1 vote, 1.7%

Sir Francis Drake: The Queen's Pirate by Harry Kelsey

0 votes, 0.0%

58 total votes

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Ruth Goodman鈥檚 Followers (648)

Ruth Goodman

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Ruth Goodman鈥檚 books