Overview

Part of the outstanding biographical series – edited by Richard Holmes – that recovers the great classical tradition of English biography. Every book is a biographical masterpiece, still thrilling to read and vividly alive. In this pioneering series, Richard Holmes, the world’s leading Romantic biographer, sets out to recover the great forgotten tradition of English biographical writing. ‘I have had no time for dusty tomes,’ writes Holmes, ‘I have looked for brevity, intelligence and style. Above all, I have sought out great biographical writers: biographers with passion, biographers who have found a way to the heart and soul of a memorable subject.’ Jack Sheppard was an 18th-century Houdini – a handsome young escape artist who broke out of his cell on Newgate’s grim Death Row three times. Jonathan Wild was the infamous Thief-Taker General who helped to recapture him and many other criminals, only to be tried and executed himself for racketeering, among scenes of mayhem at Tyburn. Daniel Defoe, the master of adventure fiction, was fascinated by ‘True Confessions’ and the workings of the criminal personality (including its daring, its stoicism and its humour). He was the first to retell these stories, based on personal interviews in Newgate, which also include a thrilling (sometimes hour by hour) reconstruction of events.

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9780007111688

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Reviews

Jack Sheppard was a small-time thief who broke out of prison on numerous occasions, yet his Houdini style escapes made him one of the most celebrated criminals in England. Infamous Thief-Taker General, Jonathon Wild was responsible for Sheppard's recapture, though he became one of the most hated criminals of the time and was eventually executed for fraudulent activities. Daniel Defoe was fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind, and his intrigue drove him to be the first to tell the stories of these two renowned 18th century criminals. Based upon personal interviews gathered at Newgate prison, Defoe vividly reconstructs their lives, including intricate details of Sheppard's unbelievable escapes. The first in a series of classic biographies edited by Richard Holmes, this has an approachable style and captivating appeal. Holmes has chosen in Defoe a true master of adventure fiction to relay the histories of such interesting characters. This is a skilfully crafted and wholly satisfying read. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Richard Holmes is Professor of Biographical Studies at the University of East Anglia, and editor of the Harper Perennial series Classic Biographies launched in 2004. His is a Fellow of the British Academy, has honorary doctorates from UEA and the Tavistock Institute, and was awarded an OBE in 1992. His first book, Shelley: The Pursuit, won the Somerset Maugham Prize in 1974. Coleridge: Early Visions won the 1989 Whitbread Book of the Year, and Dr Johnson & Mr Savage won the James Tait Black Prize. Coleridge: Darker Reflections, won the Duff Cooper Prize and the Heinemann Award. He has published two studies of European biography, Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer in 1985, and Sidetracks: Explorations of a Romantic Biographer in 2000.

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