Reviews of new Pellew biography

[anteros_lmc]

Earlier this week, Jan Morris writing in the Guardian and Keith Lowe of the Telegraph both published reviews of Commander, Stephen Taylor's new biography of Sir Edward Pellew. Lowe appears to be rather more familiar with the subject than Morris, but both give very positive reviews to the book, which Lowe describes as "fast-paced and hugely

Comments

[sarlania]

Oh! I did not know there was a new Pellew Biography coming out! Exciting! Can't wait to get it.

[anteros_lmc]

It comes out on the 6th September but I've just finished reading an advance copy and it's very good indeed! Taylor is also the author of Storm and Conquest, which is excellent too.

[vespican]

So easy, I think, for a writer to imprint his/her own views, even on what should be a factual piece... like a biography.
Dave

[anteros_lmc]

Yes, definitely. I think it's impossible for any biographer to be truly objective. To give Taylor his due, he is scrupulous in referencing every assertion he makes and source he quotes. It's good form of course, but I suspect his fastidious referencing may by partially a reaction to Parkinson whose biography is littered with unsubstantiated and often highly spurious assertions for which there are no references and even less basis.

[nodbear]

I have been benefitting from snippets from Anteros in the advance copy we managed to track down and am now looking forward to reading the version I have bought as an e-book.
It is certain that there are always subjective elements in biography ,even the subjects biographers are drawn to in the first place, but if the work is well researched and referenced it can actually be a positive element that the writer can get into the spirit of their subject , which the impression I have at the moment Taylot has certainly done- and as someone who has waded through the same 29 huge boxes of hundreds of letters, I have admiration for Taylors new work.

Osler was hagiography, Parkinson was slapdash and cynical and it is high time that Ned had something more like the biography he deserves - and at the rate of one about every hundred years .....