Synopses & Reviews
No saga of personal hardship so captivated the British public in the eighteenth century as that of James Annesley, the presumptive heir of five aristocratic titles and scion of the mighty house of Annesley. Kidnapped at twelve years of age by his uncle and sold into indentured servitude in America, James would ultimately escape after toiling for twelve years in Delaware, returning to Ireland to bring his blood rival, the Earl of Anglesea, to justice in one of the epic trials of the century.
Review
A splendid story of low skullduggery and high politics, and Roger Ekirch deserves congratulation for disinterring it. As befits an eminent historian, his research is detailed and the evidence carefully weighed.An engrossing familial and legal tale told with dash and clarity.Ekirch does a masterful job of detailing these events in this meticulously researched and highly readable narrative. Concisely written and well documented, this fascinating book will appeal to both serious readers and general history buffs.The story of Jemmy Annesley, kidnapped at 12 and shipped from Dublin to the American backwoods in 1728 by his wicked Uncle Richard, certainly recalls an early episode in the story of young David Balfour. But the tale of Annesley's picaresque adventures is excitingly dramatic in its own right and Professor Ekirch has researched it with academic relish as a real-life oddity that is no stranger than fiction. --Iain Finlayson
Review
Ekirch’s book brings the story brilliantly to life and vividly reconstructs the violent and debt-ridden world in which disreputable aristocrats operated.More fascinating than the fiction spin-off. . . . In combining an inherently exciting tale with surprising facts, Ekirch has come up with one of the year's most intriguing history books.This gripping book tells a remarkable true story. . . . Roger Ekirch expertly illumines eighteenth-century societies in the British colonies and the seedy underside of Georgian Dublin. His masterly, sympathetic and racy reconstruction of the adventures of Jemmy Annesley at last fleshes out the truth behind the tales told by Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. --Toby Barnard, University of Oxford
Review
An extraordinary work of history by one of America’s most imaginative historians, a true story more fascinating than fiction. --Gordon S. Wood, professor of history emeritus, Brown University
Review
"Ekirch does a masterful job of detailing these events in this meticulously researched and highly readable narrative. Concisely written and well documented, this fascinating book will appeal to both serious readers and general history buffs." Library Journal
Review
"An engrossing familial and legal tale told with dash and clarity." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Ekirch's book brings the story brilliantly to life and vividly reconstructs the violent and debt-ridden world in which disreputable aristocrats operated." Sunday Times [London]
Synopsis
Set against the volatile backdrop of Georgian Ireland, historian A. Roger Ekirch recounts the extraordinary family drama that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Kidnapped "with dash and clarity" (Kirkus Reviews).
Synopsis
In 1728, in the wake of his father's death, the twelve-year-old heir to five aristocratic titles and the scion of Ireland's mighty house of Annesley was kidnapped by his uncle and shipped to America as an indentured servant. Only after twelve more years did "Jemmy" Annesley at last escape, returning to Ireland to bring his blood rival, the Earl of Anglesea, to justice in one of the most captivating trials of the century. Hundreds of years later, historian A. Roger Ekirch delves into the court transcripts and rarely seen legal depositions that chronicle Jemmy's attempt to reclaim his birthright, in the process vividly evoking the volatile world of Georgian Ireland--complete with its violence, debauchery, ancient rituals, and tenacious loyalties.
Synopsis
"Ekirch out-kidnaps Stevenson in this thrilling, thoroughly documented story." --, starred review
About the Author
A. Roger Ekirch is a professor of history at Virginia Tech and the award-winning author of At Day's Close and of Birthright. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia.