- Hardcover: 456 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (20 Jun 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0002558009
- ISBN-13: 978-0002558006
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
170,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31 in Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > William the Conqueror
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More About the Author
Product Description
Daily Express
'easily the most readable and pithily perceptive biography yet written of a remarkable man'
Daily Telegraph
'cheerful and enthusiastic...an entertaining read...[Ingrams] shows us a man of quite extraordinary passion, energy and principle'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having very little knowledge of William Cobbett other than knowing him as the author of "Rural Rides", I was inclined to learn more about this character and his times. Richard Ingrams' book is excellent in the way it sets the scene for the period, corrupt polititians and newspapers, the struggles of working people, the imminent industrial revolution and Cobbett the maverick fighting for what he believes in. Although two hundred years ago it has so many parallels with today. Can we please have a few William Cobbetts for the early 21st century! Overall a great read and it has left me wishing to read Rural Rides to get more of the flavour of the writing of the great man himself.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My great great grandfather born in 1805 was an agricultural labourer in Worcestershire. In early 1840's he was convicted of some minor offences by today's standards, such as stealing a kettle and bucket of coal and 1 burglary. For this he was sentenced to 7 years transportation to Van Diemans Land (Tasmania).
Was he just a crook or was he driven by desperation through hunger, poverty and destitution to commit these offences to enable his family to survive. Those 7 years became a life sentence as he never returned to these shores and died a pauper.
I bought this book to see if it would shed some light on the social conditions faced by agricultural labourers in the period prior to 1840's and it exceeded my expectations many times over.
Cobbett raged against the corrupt and harsh political Tory and Whig aristocracy and judiciary and their contempt for the poor, the Clergy, who were complicit in ignoring the plight of the poor, but not the Church itself. The bankers and stock jobbers also were targets for his scorn as were the biased newspapers which, in the main were Tory propaganda and if there was any dissent or criticsm of the government this was met met by threatened and actual prosecutions for sedious libel.
Nearly two centuries later we may ask just how much has fundamentally changed. Corrupt politicians fiddling their expenses, the rich bankers and the stock jobbers and their obscene bonuses taking this country to the brink of ruin and being baled out by the taxpayer and by attacks on benefit recipients to cut the national debt. Outrage by the wealthy against any tax rises for them. Increased wealth disparity between rich and poor. Little to choose between the major political parties all of whom seem to have lost their moral compass.
Richard Ingrams is to be applauded for this book. It should be essential reading in the national curriculam
We need another inspirational Cobbett grass roots figure to rescue us from the quagmire that now engulfs us.
Will we find one? Does anyone you know fit the bill?
Read the book. Be inspired. You never know the next Cobbett could be you!
Was he just a crook or was he driven by desperation through hunger, poverty and destitution to commit these offences to enable his family to survive. Those 7 years became a life sentence as he never returned to these shores and died a pauper.
I bought this book to see if it would shed some light on the social conditions faced by agricultural labourers in the period prior to 1840's and it exceeded my expectations many times over.
Cobbett raged against the corrupt and harsh political Tory and Whig aristocracy and judiciary and their contempt for the poor, the Clergy, who were complicit in ignoring the plight of the poor, but not the Church itself. The bankers and stock jobbers also were targets for his scorn as were the biased newspapers which, in the main were Tory propaganda and if there was any dissent or criticsm of the government this was met met by threatened and actual prosecutions for sedious libel.
Nearly two centuries later we may ask just how much has fundamentally changed. Corrupt politicians fiddling their expenses, the rich bankers and the stock jobbers and their obscene bonuses taking this country to the brink of ruin and being baled out by the taxpayer and by attacks on benefit recipients to cut the national debt. Outrage by the wealthy against any tax rises for them. Increased wealth disparity between rich and poor. Little to choose between the major political parties all of whom seem to have lost their moral compass.
Richard Ingrams is to be applauded for this book. It should be essential reading in the national curriculam
We need another inspirational Cobbett grass roots figure to rescue us from the quagmire that now engulfs us.
Will we find one? Does anyone you know fit the bill?
Read the book. Be inspired. You never know the next Cobbett could be you!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Cobbett was a patriotic and radical journalist, an enemy to the British ruling class and a friend to its people. This splendid biography should introduce him to a wider audience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
cobbet lite.
not as good a book as i was expecting, Ingrams races through Cobbetts life with little real contextualisation,consequently you don't often get the feel of the times or the urgency... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Archie B. Manvell
An extraordinary life
An introduction to the life of possibly the first political journalist who left an impact on the English politics during the first part of the nineteenth century. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by Vinayak
Book Review
As a student of this period of history an invaluable book. Also a good read.
Ingrams does a good job. Amazon as always performed well.
Ingrams does a good job. Amazon as always performed well.
Published on 8 April 2009 by Mr. M. Lawrence
A Truly Great Englishman
An excellent biography detailing the life of an outstanding Englishman........if only we had a few more like him today. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2008 by Peter E. Bloxham
A remarkable man
Cobbett truely was a remarkable man. From farm boy to fame...ending up in prison along the way. Quite an inspiration of what a driven person can achieve. Read more
Published on 6 July 2005 by DARRON
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