An Apology for the Life of Major General Gunning: A Full Explanation of the Gunning Mystery, and the Author's Connexion with Mr. Duberly's Family of Soho Square - Softcover

Gunning, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1904799493 ISBN 13: 9781904799498

Verlag: Tiger of the Stripe, 2012

Über diesen Titel

Reseña del editor:

Mentioned in despatches at Bunker Hill, brother to the Duchess of Argyll and the Countess of Coventry, John Gunning occupied an enviable position in Georgian society, but in 1792 his whole life started to unravel... It all started with forged correspondence between his daughter Elizabeth and the Marquess of Blandford. Was Elizabeth, her garrulous mother, her dissipated father, the sinister Essex Bowen or someone else responsible? The Apology, published in 1792, gives a first-hand account of Gunning's many seductions (including apparently 2 duchesses, 14 countesses, 4 viscountesses and 7 baronesses) and purports to explain the so-called 'Gunning Mystery' - the story behind the correspondence but fails to do so. The book also tells how the General, described by Lord Kenyon as 'an hoary, abominable, degraded creature,' betrayed the man who had rescued him from a debtors' prison by seducing his wife. But is the Apology itself a forgery? Although there are indications that it may be, this memoir displays an extremely good understanding of the Gunnings, perhaps too good to be the work of an outsider. In this new, annotated and illustrated edition, Gerrish Gray delves into the fascinating world of Georgian society which is both refined and seedy. Gerrish Gray unearths prosecutions for other forgeries (and capital offences at that) perpetrated by one of the suspects in the Gunning Mystery. These point to the true identity of the culprit in the Gunning Mystery. Nonetheless, there are plenty of mysteries left: What led Gunning to marry the foolish Susannah Minifie? What was the bond between Gunning and James Duberley,the man who supplied his regiment's uniforms? Gerrish Gray is a retired historian who prefers to remain pseudonymous.

Críticas:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Day Handbook on Seduction, 24 Dec 2012 This review is from: An Apology for the Life of Major General Gunning: A Full Explanation of the Gunning Mystery, and the Author's Connexion with Mr. Duberly's Family of Soho Square (Hardcover) This is a wonderful book to give to anyone with a sense of fun and an appetite for life. It shows that little is new in the realm of male perfidy and lust and that the 18th and 19th centuries managed very well without Hello! Magazine, !Hola!, and Point de Vue. News of intrigue and disorder at the highest levels of society was quickly and efficiently broadcast. This is a fascinating example of how this was done. A double Duchess, a Countess, a couple of Dukes and Marquesses, the wicked socially ambitious wife and her either pretty or plain (opinion is sharply divided) daughter and the doughty, philandering General, who might well have inspired many of General Flashman's shortcomings, make up the cast. The book is one of two halves. The first part is the Introduction, which traces the history of the case in detail. Some may find it rather boring and heavy going. The second is the errant General's own account of the case and of his dissolute life. This is quite fascinating, both as an insight into the more salacious aspects of the social mores and history of the period and as a primer or an aide memoire for modern day lotharios. The General does not stint on detail and lays out his methods of seduction clearly. It takes very little translation or adaptation to make them useful as a handbook for the modern day seducer or, indeed, as a handbook to warn and prepare their female prey against such stratagems and ruses. An amusing, well produced book and a useful present for just about any adult. [Glendalough, Amazon UK]

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Tiger of the Stripe
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1904799493
• ISBN 13: 9781904799498
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 120
• Herausgeber: Gray Gerrish