Between the coronation of George I in 1714 and the death of George IV in 1830, changes came thick and fast, transforming Britain and the whole world. Across this century, new foods—chocolate, pineapples, coffee, and pepper—were available in the shops, fashion became extravagant, gin was drunk like it was water, and demands for women's rights were heard. Here Robert Peal introduces the Georgian era through the diverse lives of 12 people who defined it, including pirate queen Anne Bonny, feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, and former slave Olaudah Equiano.