Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell (Phoenix Giants S.) [Paperback]

Simon Heffer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Phoenix Giants S. | Publication Date: November 1999

Written with full access to all Powell's public and private papers, this biography details Powell's Midlands childhood, his appointment at the age of 25 as Professor of Greek at the University of Adelaide, his writing of poetry, his love for an Irish woman and his "Rivers of Blood" speech.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Simon Heffer was born in 1960 and educated at King Edward VI School, Chelmsford, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he read English. He is now a political columnist with the Daily Mail and has previously been political editor of The Spectator and deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1039 pages
• Publisher: Orion (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075380820X
• ISBN-13: 978-0753808207
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,090,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolutely Exhaustive Account of Powell's Life, April 14, 2009

By 

Timothy W. Husbands (Mississippi) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell (Phoenix Giants S.) (Paperback)

Upon finally finishing this biography, I can only state that it is one of the more well-researched and thorough works in this genre that I have ever come across, and that if I should ever be compelled to read this again it will be under duress. Not due to any shortcomings on the author's part: He apparently had the consent and cooperation of Powell himself. However, the sheer level of recording the minute aspects of Powell's life, both private and public, is almost mind-numbing at times. I can quite literally state that I have never encountered such a full biography in my life. However, it is fascinating reading, as Powell was such a divisive man in English politics during his lifetime. The account of the "Rivers of Blood" speech and its fallout are especially riveting, as this is the definitive moment when most Britons began to see Powell as an politician or demagogue of the extreme Right stripe. If you can find it, and if you can afford it, this is THE account to have of Enoch Powell's life.