Free Love And Madness: The Murder Of Martha Ray, Mistress Of The Fourth Earl Of Sandwich Ebooks To Download
In eighteenth-century England the aristocracy dominated the imagination, their exploits -- and misdeeds -- discussed, debated, and gossiped about in the salons and parlors of London. Now author Martin Levy vividly re-creates one of the most shocking and scandalous events of the period, in a riveting true tale of passion, obsession, murder, and courtroom drama.On a spring evening in the year 1779, a young woman emerged from London's Covent Garden Theatre amid a grand swirl of lords and ladies, their servants and coachmen. From out of the shadows a man emerged, dressed in a black suit. He raised a pistol and fired one fatal shot point-blank into the woman's head. A sudden and brutal murder, it was all the more shocking because of the identities of those involved. The victim was Martha Ray, famed aficionada of fashion and the arts, and longtime live-in mistress of the Earl of Sandwich, high-ranking minister to King George III. The assailant was James Hackman, a respected Anglican minister and Martha Ray's former lover.It was a savage crime that rocked both British high society and the church, and inflamed the interest and imagination of such renowned personages as Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, noted biographer and lover of prostitutes and executions. And it resulted in a courtroom extravaganza unique in the annals of legal proceedings -- where passion was the motive, the madness of "momentary phrenzy" the mitigating circumstance . . . and love the ultimate justification for a crazed act of murder.With consummate skill, author Martin Levy brings to breathtaking life the sights and sounds of an unparalleled era in history -- when hangings were public entertainment and debauchery was a popular pastime of the wealthy and the titled -- and expertly unravels the mystery behind a truly sensational slaying. Fascinating, startling, edifying, and entertaining, Love and Madness is a brilliant tale of crime and punishment as vivid and compelling as the headlines of today.
File Size: 1184 KB
Print Length: 268 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (October 13, 2009)
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B000VYW6VQ
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #28,890 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #20 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain > England #34 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Europe > England #118 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > True Crime > Murder & Mayhem
Some things never change, like war, taxes, and the public's morbid fascination with crimes that involve the rich and famous.Love and Madness is the retelling of the murder of Martha Ray, an actress and singer who was also the mistress of the fourth Earl of Sandwich. The crime rocked eighteenth century London and drew spectators, from all walks of life, to the courthouse to witness the trial of James Hackman (Martha's one-time lover and murderer).Martin Levy starts the book on the evening of the murder and then deftly weaves in bits of backstory to give the reader a full picture of the crime and the players involved. He includes contemporary accounts and surprises the reader by indicating that most of British-society viewed Martha Ray's murderer with more sympathy, and seemd to treat his memory with more care, than they did the victim.The Positives:Love and Madness is written in an easy-to-read, easy-to-engage style that immediately draws readers in, even those without much experience in eighteenth century studies. Levy stays focused on the tragic story of Martha Ray's murder but is clever enough to include quotes from 18th century illuminaries like James Boswell, Charles James Fox, Lady Sarah Lennox, and Horace Walpole, making this true-crime tale read like a savory article from PEOPLE magazine.Levy does a splendid job of bringing James Boswell to life (using only a dozen or so pages). Indeed, he piqued this reviewer's interest about the famous lawyer and diarist's insatiable proclivities enough to send her back to in search of a more complete biography on the man.The Negatives:The story is told in a coldly detached manner that this reviewer found disappointing, and, a trifle disconcerting.
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