John Wilkes: A Friend to Liberty - Hardcover

Thomas, Peter D. G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198205449 ISBN 13: 9780198205449

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Often deemed the founder of British radicalism, John Wilkes (1725-1797) had a shattering impact on the politics of his time. His audacity in challenging government authority was matched by his skill and determination in attaining his objectives: the freedom of the press to criticize ministers and report Parliament; enhanced security for individuals and their property from arbitrary arrest and seizure; and the rights of electors. In this fascinating and original biography, Peter Thomas provides an intriguing portrait of the man George III referred to as `that Devil, Wilkes'.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Often deemed the founder of British radicalism, John Wilkes (1725-1797) had a shattering impact on the politics of his time. His audacity in challenging government authority was matched by skill and determination in attaining his objectives: the freedom of the press to criticize ministers and report Parliament; enhanced security for individuals and their property from arbitrary arrest and seizure; and the rights of electors. That he was a political maverick, of witty and wicked reputation, has led historians to underestimate him, and this is the first researched biography since 1917. Contemporaries appreciated his achievements more that posterity, one obituarist writing that 'his name will be connected with our history'. In this fascinating and original biography, Peter Thomas provides an intriguing portrait of the man George III referred to as 'that Devil Wilkes'.

About the Author:

Professor of Modern History at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth, Peter D. G. Thomas is the author of numerous studies in eighteenth-century politics.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0198205449
• ISBN 13: 9780198205449
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 294