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Birthright: The True Story Of The Kidnapping Of Jemmy Annesley (2010)

by A. Roger Ekirch(Favorite Author)

3.1 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0393066150 (ISBN13: 9780393066159)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: A fantastic true story stranger than fiction could ever be, about an aristocratic child sold into indentured servitude by his wicked uncle who comes back years later to claim his birthright, only to face murder attempts, slander, and legal battles while trying to win over popular sentiment. It's an incredible yarn that served as the basis for several major novels by authors such as Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, and though the place it eventually ends is a bit of a downer for everyone involved, it's a pretty gripping ride getting there.
review 2: This is one of those stranger-than-fiction stories. Real life is a lot messier than fiction, though, so unfortunately James died before he could win vindication in court, and his son didn't survive child... morehood. Karma apparently believes in the sins of the father because James' cousin, the son of the uncle who had him kidnapped to steal his estates, was declared illegitimate in English courts and the family's two English titles were declared obsolete. The uncle's too much of a bastard to feel sorry for, and he undoubtedly brought all his troubles on himself, but I have to wonder, if he knew he would never have an easy moment as Earl (James wasn't the only one who challenged his right to inherit) would he still have done it? less

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