Purchase
The True Story that Inspired Kidnapped
W. W. Norton & Company
February 2010
On Sale: January 25, 2010
258 pages
ISBN: 0393066150
EAN: 9780393066159
Hardcover
Add to Wish List
Non-Fiction
For the first time, the remarkable story that inspired Robert Louis Stevensonβs Kidnapped. 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, James was shipped from Dublin to America in 1728 as an indentured servant. Only after thirteen years did he finally manage to 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 paternity tests, could a prodigal hope to prove his identity and his legitimacy after such a long absence? Richly evoking the volatile world of Georgian Irelandβcomplete with its violence, debauchery, ancient rituals, and tenacious loyaltiesβaward-winning author A. Roger Ekirch recounts an extraordinary family drama of betrayal and loss, but also of resilience, survival, and redemption. 26 illustrations; 3 maps.
 Media BuzzWeekend Edition Sunday - February 7, 2010
| 
© 2003-2026