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Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Period Detail
Review: I was a little disappointed. While I admit it's a captivating title, Love and Madness goes little beyond tabloid speculation in its investigation of the murder of Martha Ray in the 18th Century. Set in the midst of a fascinating political and social era, the book should have filled in a lot more gaps than it does. An apparent celebrated crime of passion, much is made of the young man's utter desolation over the lady's death, of his willingness to die for his crime, of his total infatuation with his victim and of his completely unrealistic expectations with regard to their relationship. Meanwhile, despite the author's professed concern that the victim herself received little attention or sympathy during her time, he too focuses more on the prominent males of the era and on the pathetic condition of the perpetrator of the murder. He gives a slight nod to the lady's ability to hold her own in a class where she was neither accepted nor treated with civility, but one feels that a lot more might have been said. Given the power of mistresses in the English and French courts of the time, it's difficult to believe that the lady had no impact on the decisions of the day. Martha Ray was the mistress of a powerful governmental figure, the Earl of Sandwich, who as Minister of the Admiralty figured prominently in George III's conflicts with the American revolutionaries. This was the world of William Pitt and Samuel Johnson, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, James Boswell and the Fielding brothers, a raucous world with one foot in the risque and boisterous past of the 17th century and one in the buttoned up world of the upcoming Victorian England of the 19th century. Though she was perhaps a peripheral character in the ongoing events of the time, Ms Ray's was a story that might well have cast considerable light on these transitions. Almost in passing does one learn of the status of women at the time, about society's expectations of class behaviors, misbehaviors and interactions, about the avenues for advancement of the average person, about how individuals fit into world events etc. In reading Mr. Levy's book it would be difficult to say whether Ms Ray was a victim of society, a major player in affairs of state, whether she was happy or not. Certainly she seems to have been a competent individual in so far as one has any access to her personal life. Since the author makes use of most of the documentation available from the time: biographies, letters, newspapers, diaries, one must assume that there is simply little more than bare detail known about the woman, her life, influence and the events of her death. Since the Earl himself fell into disgrace not long thereafter and fades into obscurity, one can only wonder if Martha's death was part of a plot to damage an unpopular bureaucrat. It certainly seems odd that the murderer could grab hold of the woman's skirt, draw two pistols--both of which would have to be manually cocked to fire them--and manage to fire one fatally at her and the other at himself. Something doesn't quite ring true. Seems like a missed chance to me. For those WRITING PAPERS in: English or 18th Century world history, sociology, anthropology, political science, or women's studies: How might the biography of a woman such as Martha Ray illuminate some of the social and political events of her time in a way that those of more prominent individuals might obscure or miss? What was the status of women during her time? How did it compare with earlier times (think of pre-Roman and post-Roman times as well as Anglo Saxon and Norman Britain)? Later times (think of Victorian, Edwardian and Modern England)? What kinds of political clout did mistresses of important individuals exert on the politics of the day? Might this be considered an avenue of professional advancement for a bright and capable individual for whom other avenues were essentially closed? Could such a person actually have more latitude for expression of power as an "outsider" of upper class society than mainstream individuals might? What happened to children of such individuals (you might look at the lives of Juan, Cesare and Lucetcia Borgia among others)? What impact did they have on society? Would they have been so positioned had their mother not chosen the lifeway she did?
Rating: 
Summary: Seems like a missed chance to me
Review: I was a little disappointed. While I admit it's a captivating title, Love and Madness goes little beyond tabloid speculation in its investigation of the murder of Martha Ray in the 18th Century. Set in the midst of a fascinating political and social era, the book should have filled in a lot more gaps than it does. An apparent celebrated crime of passion, much is made of the young man's utter desolation over the lady's death, of his willingness to die for his crime, of his total infatuation with his victim and of his completely unrealistic expectations with regard to their relationship. Meanwhile, despite the author's professed concern that the victim herself received little attention or sympathy during her time, he too focuses more on the prominent males of the era and on the pathetic condition of the perpetrator of the murder. He gives a slight nod to the lady's ability to hold her own in a class where she was neither accepted nor treated with civility, but one feels that a lot more might have been said. Given the power of mistresses in the English and French courts of the time, it's difficult to believe that the lady had no impact on the decisions of the day. Martha Ray was the mistress of a powerful governmental figure, the Earl of Sandwich, who as Minister of the Admiralty figured prominently in George III's conflicts with the American revolutionaries. This was the world of William Pitt and Samuel Johnson, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, James Boswell and the Fielding brothers, a raucous world with one foot in the risque and boisterous past of the 17th century and one in the buttoned up world of the upcoming Victorian England of the 19th century. Though she was perhaps a peripheral character in the ongoing events of the time, Ms Ray's was a story that might well have cast considerable light on these transitions. Almost in passing does one learn of the status of women at the time, about society's expectations of class behaviors, misbehaviors and interactions, about the avenues for advancement of the average person, about how individuals fit into world events etc. In reading Mr. Levy's book it would be difficult to say whether Ms Ray was a victim of society, a major player in affairs of state, whether she was happy or not. Certainly she seems to have been a competent individual in so far as one has any access to her personal life. Since the author makes use of most of the documentation available from the time: biographies, letters, newspapers, diaries, one must assume that there is simply little more than bare detail known about the woman, her life, influence and the events of her death. Since the Earl himself fell into disgrace not long thereafter and fades into obscurity, one can only wonder if Martha's death was part of a plot to damage an unpopular bureaucrat. It certainly seems odd that the murderer could grab hold of the woman's skirt, draw two pistols--both of which would have to be manually cocked to fire them--and manage to fire one fatally at her and the other at himself. Something doesn't quite ring true. Seems like a missed chance to me. For those WRITING PAPERS in: English or 18th Century world history, sociology, anthropology, political science, or women's studies: How might the biography of a woman such as Martha Ray illuminate some of the social and political events of her time in a way that those of more prominent individuals might obscure or miss? What was the status of women during her time? How did it compare with earlier times (think of pre-Roman and post-Roman times as well as Anglo Saxon and Norman Britain)? Later times (think of Victorian, Edwardian and Modern England)? What kinds of political clout did mistresses of important individuals exert on the politics of the day? Might this be considered an avenue of professional advancement for a bright and capable individual for whom other avenues were essentially closed? Could such a person actually have more latitude for expression of power as an "outsider" of upper class society than mainstream individuals might? What happened to children of such individuals (you might look at the lives of Juan, Cesare and Lucetcia Borgia among others)? What impact did they have on society? Would they have been so positioned had their mother not chosen the lifeway she did?
Rating: 
Summary: A Question of Two Pistols
Review: Martin Levy, a scholar of 18th century life, exhaustively covers the public murder of the mistress of Lord Sandwich by a clergyman and spurned lover. Although Levy's scholarship and research is everywhere evident, the writing is nowhere leaden or academic; he approaches his subject with the relish of a true-crime writer. In an age when criminal justice was in its infancy, the corpse of the slain woman was carried to the nearest alehouse and left there for all to see; her killer was brought to trial just nine days later. While the Rev. Hackman admitted he killed Martha Ray, he said he did it in a "momentary frenzy" and actually intended to kill only himself. The argument over why, if this was his intention, he brought two pistols to the scene of the crime is a fascinating one, and Levy offers arguments on both sides. The killing was a cause celebre in its time, and the latter half of this slim volume contains examples of the poems, broadsides, ballads and even a short novel published at the time. A remarkable achievement, and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Period Detail
Review: While I'm not a fan of true crime, I do enjoy 18th-century British social history. I found plenty to like here. The book is rich in details, and therein lies its interest for me. For instance, the first chapter presents a vivid picture of the last night of Martha Ray's life. She went to the theatre and the reader goes along for the ride. We even see tufts of grass growing between paving stones. At the theatre, a bell signals the start of the performance. So on and so on. The book is full of these period details. The diet at Newgate, for those who couldn't afford to buy their own food, was a penny loaf. And "all prisons in England had a table of fees, and Newgate's was inscribed on a painted board hung up in the felons' court." Also, prisoners were charged three shillings as an entrance fee! (If a prisoner couldn't pay, was he turned away?) We're also given a detailed picture of the trial and the procession from Newgate to the place of execution. I could have done without the latter, but it belonged in the book. Overall, well done.
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