Synopses & Reviews
No saga of personal hardship so captivated the British public in the eighteenth century as the turbulent life 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, "Jemmy" was shipped from Dublin to America in 1728 as an indentured servant. Only after twelve more years did he at last escape, returning to Ireland to bring his blood rival, the Earl of Anglesea, to justice in one of the epic trials of the century. How, in an age without DNA laboratories or fingerprint records, could a prodigal hope to prove his identity, let alone his legitimacy, after such a long absence--all the while defying accusations of being a "pretender," the bastard son of a maidservant, plus repeated attempts on his life? Bursting with an improbable cast of characters, from a brave Dublin butcher and a wily Scot to the king of England, evokes in vivid detail the volatile world of Georgian Ireland--complete with its violence, debauchery, ancient rituals, and tenacious loyalties. Drawing on exhaustive research in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and America--including an intensive investigation of court transcripts and innumerable, rarely seen legal depositions--A. Roger Ekirch brilliantly resurrects an extraordinary family drama of betrayal and loss, but also resilience, survival, and redemption.
Review
An engrossing familial and legal tale told with dash and clarity.Starred Review. Ekirch out-kidnaps Stevenson in this thrilling, thoroughly documented story. A perfect mix of true crime and real-life adventure.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.Ekirch’s book brings the story brilliantly to life and vividly reconstructs the violent and debt-ridden world in which disreputable aristocrats operated.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.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.The story of Jemmy Annesley, kidnapped at 12 and shipped from Dublin to theAmerican backwoods in 1728 by his wicked Uncle Richard, certainly recalls anearly episode in the story of young David Balfour. But the tale ofAnnesley's picaresque adventures is excitingly dramatic in its own right andProfessor Ekirch has researched it with academic relish as a real-lifeoddity that is no stranger than fiction. -- Iain Finlayson
Review
"Starred Review. Ekirch out-kidnaps Stevenson in this thrilling, thoroughly documented story. A perfect mix of true crime and real-life adventure." Booklist
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
Synopsis
How, in an age without DNA laboratories or fingerprint records, could a prodigal hope to prove his identity, let alone his legitimacy, after such a long absence all the while defying accusations of being a pretender, the bastard son of a maidservant, plus repeated attempts on his life? Bursting with an improbable cast of characters, from a brave Dublin butcher and a wily Scot to the king of England, Birthright evokes in vivid detail the volatile world of Georgian Ireland complete with its violence, debauchery, ancient rituals, and tenacious loyalties. Drawing on exhaustive research in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and America including an intensive investigation of court transcripts and innumerable, rarely seen legal depositions A. Roger Ekirch brilliantly resurrects an extraordinary family drama of betrayal and loss, but also resilience, survival, and redemption. "
Synopsis
Praise for "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 "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
Synopsis
For the first time, the remarkable story that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's .
Synopsis
For the first time, the remarkable story that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson"s Kidnapped.
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.