Military Misreadings of Shakspere

The book "Military Misreadings of Shakespeare" by Thomas Seccombe was first published in 1880 and was a huge success. It features cartoons paired with Shakespearian quotes, showcasing the perils of being a Victorian soldier and the human character. This re-issued edition includes commentary by former Grenadier Paul Cordles, providing insight into the army and its modern successors.

Format: Hardback
Length: 80 pages
Publication date: 26 October 2020
Publisher: Nine Elms Books

From the deliberate, yet delightful, misspelling of Shakespeare in the title to the carefully portrayed perils of being a Victorian soldier and the appropriately selected Shakespearian quotes to go alongside each cartoon, Thomas Seccombes book will resonate with all who have an interest in observing life – military and otherwise.

Seccombe was a true son of the Victorian Empire and served in The Royal Artillery until retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1881. This book was first published in 1880 and was so popular that it went on to six reprints in the following two years. Seccombe subsequently had a flourishing civilian career as an illustrator.

Some 140 years later, even today's readers will see why Military Misreadings of Shakspere [sic] was such a success. Seccombe's subtle, but perceptive, observations of human character are as true today as they ever were. He had a wonderful eye for detail as well as the ridiculous – but never with malice, even when pairing his cartoons with quotes from the Bard of Avon. This re-issued edition has the added benefit of former Grenadier Paul Cordles highly informative commentary, which puts Seccombe's army into perspective and relates regiments to their modern successors-in-arms. With a similar eye for detail as the original illustrator, military historian Paul brings the illustrations to life with fascinating military observations.

Weight: 464g
Dimension: 178 x 254 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781910533512