John Milton: A Hero of Our Time [Hardcover]

David Hawkes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

John Milton — poet, polemicist, public servant, and author of one of the greatest masterpieces in English literature, Paradise Lost — is revered today as a great writer and a proponent of free speech. In his time, however, his ideas far exceeded the orthodoxy of English life; spurred by his conscience and an iron grip on logic, Milton was uncompromising in his beliefs at a time of great religious and political flux in England. In John Milton, David Hawkes expertly interweaves details from Milton’s public and private life, providing new insight into the man and his prophetic stance on politics and the social order. By including a broad range of Milton's iconoclastic views on issues as diverse as politics, economics, and sex, Hawkes suggests that Milton's approach to market capitalism, political violence, and religious terrorism continues to be applicable even in the 21st century.

This insightful biography closely examines Milton's participation in the English civil war and his startlingly modern ideas about capitalism, love, and marriage, reminding us that human liberty and autonomy should never be taken for granted.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Popular biographies commemorating Milton’s four-hundredth birthday have been scarce, but Hawkes makes up for that paucity and then some in a splendid argument that Milton was so prophetic of modern political and religious predicaments that he should be regarded as our contemporary. Think of Milton as a lifelong iconoclast, Hawkes says, who fought psychological idolatry unceasingly, questioning institutional routines, habitual obedience, hierarchy, and all authority short of God. He suffered for his active intransigence. He lost his sight, alienated his daughters, and endured repeated denunciation. Hawkes pursues the theme of iconoclasm throughout Milton’s writing, showing how it accounts for his advocacy of divorce and complete freedom of speech and the press, and cogently refuting the interpretive canard that Satan is the hero of Paradise Lost. Milton understood the difference between reality and representation, not least because his father and he were professional usurers, dealing in that foremost abstract representer, money, but knowing that only God deserves worship. In an age, the present, that has made an idol of money, Milton is more relevant than ever. Hawkes’ thorough reading of his subject is everything that the new books about Milton’s fellow multi-centenarian, Samuel Johnson, are not; to wit, an explanation of why his writing was and continues to be vital. --Ray Olson

Review

"The 400th anniversary of Milton's birth provided Hawkes the opportunity to reexamine the great poet not only within a 17th-century context but in a 21st-century one, too. During an era of great unrest in England, Milton provoked controversy and debate over his ideas of sex, economics, religion, and political power systems. Thought to be ahead of his time, Milton frequently declared that he was not solely speaking to his contemporaries but to the people of the future. Here, Hawkes examines Milton's iconoclasm and his belief that the worshiping of images of all kinds, both figurative and metaphorical, was destructive. Interweaving historical events of his time, such as the Rump Parliament of 1649, Hawkes illuminates Milton's philosophy via his prose and poetry. Although contemporary readers may disapprove of Milton's beliefshe was in favor of polygamy and believed God picked "chosen ones" to lead the masseshe never made for dull reading. VERDICT Hawkes writes with little academic jargon, and his style is lively and entertaining. Political and religious history enthusiasts will find this excellent and challenging." —Library Journal

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582434379
• ISBN-13: 978-1582434377
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,677,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Hawkes was born in Wales and educated at Oxford and Columbia Universities. He lives in Arizona and Istanbul.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Florilegium of Fact and Opinion, November 13, 2010

By 

H. von Osnabrueck (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Milton: A Hero of Our Time (Hardcover)

For those with a scholarly interest in John Milton's life and works, this book offers much by way of new thoughts and research. Clearly, Mr. Hawkes has spent a great deal studying the works and life of Milton, and his interpretations of some of the more arcane nuances of Milton's thoughts are very illuminating.

It is, however, extremely unfortunate, that the author uses this book as a means to issue constant philippic about the "evils of capitalism", "the vileness of lending at interest", etc. No matter one's view on these issues, a biography about John Milton and a detailed account of his works is an improper venue thereof. It is unscholarly and extremely irrelevant. And though nearly 1/3 of the book consists of said irrelevant lambasting, the portion that is actually biographic is excellent and I would recommend the book to anyone who is able to discern between fact and opinion. As such, the portion of the book that could be truly considered biographical is approximately 150 pages.

I for one am grateful that I purchased this book as it offers fascinating interpretations.

As a biography, it is lacking and I would recommend that anyone interested in the life of this phenomenal figure find his or her biography elsewhere.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections, April 13, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Milton: A Hero of Our Time (Hardcover)

Published to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Milton's birth, John Milton: A Hero of Our Time is a thoughtful biography of poet, polemicist, public servant, and legendary author John Milton, perhaps best known for his classic "Paradise Lost". A man driven by his conscience and his understanding of logic, Milton stood firm in his beliefs during a time of tremendous religious and political turmoil in England. From Milton's participation in the English civil war to his ideas about capitalism, love, and marriage that were surprisingly ahead of their time, to his views on political violence and religious terrorism, John Milton: A Hero of Our Time encapsulates the greatness of a visionary thinker and the morals of a humanitarian. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.