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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Good Examination of Regency England Through The Writings Of Pierce Egan,
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This review is from: Bucks and Bruisers: Pierce Egan and Regency England (Hardcover)
After reading Daniel Cassidy's classic How the Irish Invented Slang: The Secret Language of the Crossroads (Counterpunch) (English and Irish Edition) I developed an interest in Pierce Egan, author of the boxing classic Boxiana; or, Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism, from the Days of the Renowned Broughton and Slack, to the Championship of Cribb: Volume 1; as I stumbled through the books by and on Egan I came upon this work. The price seemed good and since I was flush with Christmas cash I bought the book in a flash. As soon as it arrived I started in on it, what a pleasant surprise awaited me! The author is honest regarding Egans talent and his place in "literature." He doesn't argue Egan was master prose stylist (he wasn't), he argues he was a groundbreaking journalist whose writings established new frontiers for journalists, he developed the sport beat with the earlier mentioned Boxiana and crime coverage with Pierce Egan's account of the trial of John Thurtell and Joseph Hunt: with an appendix, disclosing some extraordinary facts, exclusively in the possession of the editor. Author also contends Egans interest in portraying the life of the lower classes with exactitude made his The Life Of An Actor a treasury of Regency stage history. Not a great novel, but a great treasure trove of stage history. He further shows that Egan helped influence Dickens and others in their formative years. The author is a veritable treasure trove of information regarding Egan and his times, he covers much ground, so much so you could probably write a NYT Bookreview length article on the book. Let's just say, if you want a great read about Regency England, the people and times, this book does that. You want a good biography of Egan? The book does that. You want a sourebook for literary investigation? The book does that too! A wonderful book by a writer steeped in the topic. Great Book! Now I just ordered the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue to catch up on some of Egan's flash talk!
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Bucks and Bruisers: Pierce Egan and Regency England by John Cowie Reid (Hardcover - April 22, 1971)
Used & New from: $30.25
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