Raymond Seitz
A Realistic Visionary
‘First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’ So did Henry Lee elegantly eulogise George Washington when the great man died two weeks before the close of the eighteenth century. The summation is hard to dispute even today.
Washington was different from the rest of that remarkable coterie of colonials who rebelled against Great Britain and created the United States. He wasn’t a garrulous New England intellectual such as John Adams or Benjamin Franklin. His formal education was basic, nothing more. Before the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
'It is the ... sketches of the local and the overlooked that lend this book its density and drive, and emphasise Britain’s mostly low-key riches – if only you can be bothered to buy an anorak and seek.'
Jonathan Meades on the beauty of brutalism.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/castles-of-concrete
'Cruickshank’s history reveals an extraordinary eclecticism of architectural styles and buildings, from Dutch Revivalism to Arts and Crafts experimentation, from Georgian terraces to Victorian mansion blocks.'
William Boyd on the architecture of Chelsea.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/where-george-eliot-meets-mick-jagger
'The eight years he has spent in solitary confinement have had a devastating impact on his mental health ... human rights organisations believe his detention is punishment for his critical views.'
@lucyjpop on the Egyptian activist and poet Ahmed Douma.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/ahmed-douma