The Winding Stair: Francis Bacon, His Rise and Fall (Virago Modern Classics) [Paperback]

Daphne du Maurier (Author), Francis King (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006 | Series: Virago Modern Classics

“All rising to great place is by a winding stair,” wrote Sir Francis Bacon. It wasn’t until he was 45 that Bacon’s feet found the first step on that staircase, when King James I made him Solicitor-General, from where he rose through the ranks to become Lord Chancellor. Many accounts of the life of Sir Francis Bacon have been written for scholars, but du Maurier’s aim was to paint a vivid portrait of this remarkable man for the common reader. In The Winding Stair, she illuminates the considerable achievements of this Renaissance man as a writer, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and politician. Dame Daphne du Maurier wrote more than 25 acclaimed novels, short stories, and plays, including Rebecca and The House on the Strand. She was also a passionate and skillful biographer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Unlike many authors of popular historical biographies, du Maurier resembled Antonia Fraser in being an indefatigable researcher' Francis King

About the Author

Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Virago UK (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844080749
• ISBN-13: 978-1844080748
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 4.8 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Part of the Shakesperian writing team?, August 18, 2009

By 

Bruce Oksol "oksol" (San Antonio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Winding Stair: Francis Bacon, His Rise and Fall (Virago Modern Classics) (Paperback)

Yes, the novelist who gave us Hitchcock's "Jamaica Inn," "Rebecca," and "The Birds," was also a historian, especially anything that had to do with her own family and her own "country," southwest England.

"The Winding Stair" begins where "Golden Lads" ends. It begins with Francis at age 40, on the death of his brother.

The title comes from the quote that one's ascent in life is like a winding stair, taking one step at a time.

Easy to read, and fills in the gaps of Francis Bacon's life. But the best part of this is the fact that it was written by a celebrity in her own right: Daphne du Maurier.