The Laughter of Triumph: William Hone and the Fight for the Free Press

Description

Satirist William Hone is the forgotten hero of the British press. In 1817 he was forced to defend himself against a censorious government, in what amounted to a show trial pitting a self-educated Fleet Street journalist against the Lord Chief Justice and a hand-picked jury. Hone's crime was to ridicule the powers that be. Through Hone's life, Ben Wilson looks at the history of the struggle for free expression against repressive law.

Ben Wilson was born in 1980, studied history at Pembroke College, Cambridge as an undergraduate and graduate. He has worked as a researcher for Professor David Starkey's TV series The Monarchy. He lives in East London.

"'Wonderfully stirring. The tale Wilson has to tell is so exciting, and the bravura with which he recounts it so infectious, that his case becomes irresistible.' Guardian 'Ben Wilson may be only 25, but he is already an exceptional talent.' Observer 'This excellent biography is a timely reminder of the astonishing power of the press in the hands of a single free, fearless, and long-since forgotten practitioner.' Daily Telegraph"