Champion of English Freedom
Champion of English Freedom
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Summary
2024 marks the 250th anniversary of John Wilkes becoming Lord Mayor of London. A man simultaneously full of contradiction and principles, Wilkes was a giant of eighteenth-century England and helped shape modern Britain.
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Champion of English Freedom by Robin Eagles
John Wilkes was one of the most extraordinary and recognisable characters of the eighteenth century. In Parliament he was a fierce critic of the government and he used his newspaper, The North Briton, to help bring down the administration of Prime Minister Lord Bute. Expelled as an MP and prosecuted for libel, he staged a highly publicised return and became one of the key figures associated with securing freedom of the press. Throughout his life, Wilkes adopted multiple guises, undergoing a series of apparently contradictory reinventions. Having started out as a libertine young man about town, he became an MP before spending several years in exile and in prison prior to his election as Lord Mayor of London. A talented classicist, he was also a seedy pornographer; vicious in his relations with many women, he was nonetheless devoted to his daughter. His behaviour divided friend and foe alike. This new book, marking the 250th anniversary of Wilkes’s election as Lord Mayor, seeks to uncover the enigma of a man who fascinated his own period and remains an important symbol of freedom to this day.
‘There are many themes from John Wilkes’s life and achievements which resonate in today’s politics, and Robin Eagles does a superb job in explaining how he took on the establishment and won as well as how he was able to constantly reinvent himselfIt’s a terrific read and an important book.’ -- IAIN DALE, editor of The Prime Ministers
‘Scholars and enthusiasts of the eighteenth century alike will delight in this superbly researched, insightful new biography. John Wilkes was a dazzling, contradictory and courageous figure whose tumultuous political career altered the course of history. Robin Eagles has tracked his extraordinary story every step of the way.’ -- PETER MOORE, author of Endeavour and Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
‘Scholars and enthusiasts of the eighteenth century alike will delight in this superbly researched, insightful new biography. John Wilkes was a dazzling, contradictory and courageous figure whose tumultuous political career altered the course of history. Robin Eagles has tracked his extraordinary story every step of the way.’ -- PETER MOORE, author of Endeavour and Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Robin Eagles read history at Magdalen College, Oxford, and is Editor of the House of Lords (1660-1832) section at the History of Parliament. His previous publications include Francophilia in English Society, 1748-1815 (Palgrave, 2000) and an edition of Wilkes’ diaries for the London Record Society (Boydell, 2014).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781398111707 |
| ISBN 10 | 1398111708 |
| Title | Champion of English Freedom |
| Author | Robin Eagles |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Amberley Publishing |
| Year published | 2024-06-15 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |