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Jenkins' Ear, A Narrative Attributed to Horace Walpole Esq. by Odell Shepard & Willard Shepard 1951 Hardback

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Jenkins' Ear, A Narrative Attributed to Horace Walpole Esq. by Odell Shepard & Willard Shepard 1951 Hardback

SYNOPSIS:  474 pages. The American authors of this historical novel of the eighteenth century, who are father and son, have been daring enough to attribute the narrative to Horace Walpole. We are skilfully persuaded to believe that amid the tranquillity of Strawberry Hill he is recording events far more turbulent and momentous than those with which he is usually associated. He has been moved to this task by the experiences of one strange week in October 17, during which his guests, not all of his own choosing, have included several members of the Club of Jenkins' Ear, and in particular the enigmatic Parson Blandison, on whose head there is, it may be, a price of thirty thousand pounds. In 1731 Robert Jenkins, master mariner, returned to England from the West Indies with a tale of how the Spaniards had rifled his ship and cut oft his ear. The ear itself was on view to the curious in return for a dram of rum. Modern standards in atrocity arc somewhat higher, but this was enough to develop into one of the contributory causes of a colonial war with Spain which, after the manner of such conflagrations, spread beyond anything that had ever been intended or imagined. Thus a number of the characters of this novel have played their various parts in battle, shipwreck, massacre, the capture of treasure, rebellion against the British throne, and violent or romantic happenings of every kind over vast expanses of land and sea, and ten years later they can still perturb even the quiet reaches of the Thames. It is a thronged and stirring story, told with a clarity and grace that do no injustice to its imputed author.

Publisher: The Macmillan Company, New York. Only date provided is 1951 on title page.

Format: Hardback. No dust jacket. NOT AN EX LIB.

Condition: In Very Good+ condition. Red cloth boards with gold foil lettering and spine graphic. Very little signs of wear to covers. Inner pages in crisp, clean condition with no tears or markings. Tightly bound. Photos show condition.

See Grading Scale page for explanation of grades. Photos of any obvious condition issues will be provided.

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