Birrell, a Liberal politician with a famously light touch, writes about the writers he enjoyed: Dean Swift and Lord Bolingbroke, Sterne and Dr. Johnson, Vanbrugh and John Gay, Hannah More, De Quincey and Marie Bashkirtseff. Between the portraits come pieces on book-binding, old and new books, and the curious history of the poets laureate.
Bookish, humorous essays from one of the most companionable English critics of his day. Download the free EPUB.