Great Leviathan

From Ireland, England, France, Austria, Greece, Turkey and Italy to America and the West Indies, overflowing with historic events, from the French Revolution to the Great Irish Famine, with a cast of the famous and infamous, Howe Peter Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo, lived life to the absolute limits.

Privileged yet compassionate, charismatic yet flawed, Regency Buck, Irish landlord, West Indian plantation owner, Knight of St Patrick, Privy Counsellor, intrepid traveller, intimate of kings, emperors and despots, favoured guest in the fashionable salons of London and Paris, patron of artists and pugilists, founder of the Irish Turf Club, friend and fellow traveller of Lord Byron, treasure-seeker, spy, sailor and jailbird, as well as the father of fifteen children, the astonishing range and diversity of Sligo’s life is breathtaking.

From a youth of hedonistic self-indulgence in Regency England to a reforming, responsible, well-intentioned legislator and landlord, Sligo became enshrined in the history of Jamaica as ‘Emancipator of the Slaves’ and in Ireland as ‘The Poor Man’s Friend’ during the most difficult of times.

Eight years in the writing and sourced from over 15,000 primary contemporary manuscripts located by the author in private and public archives around the world, The Great Leviathan sheds new light on significant historical events and on the people who shaped them in Ireland, England, Europe and the West Indies during a period of momentous political turbulence and change.

Din Irlanda, Anglia, Franta, Austria, Grecia, Turcia si Italia pana in America si Indiile de Vest, pline de evenimente istorice, de la Revolutia franceza la Marea foamete irlandeza, cu o distributie a faimosului si infamului, Howe Peter Browne, al 2-lea Marchizul de Sligo, a trait viata pana la limitele absolute. Privilegiat, dar plin de compasiune, carismatic, dar defectuos, Regency Buck, proprietar irlandez, proprietar de plantatie din vestul Indiei, Cavaler de St Patrick, consilier privat, calator curajos, intim al regilor, imparatilor si despotilor, favorizat invitat in saloanele la moda din Londra si Paris, patron al artistilor si al pugilistilor, fondator al Irish Turf Club, prieten si coleg calator al lordului Byron, cautator de comori, spion, marinar si pasarel, precum si tatal a cincisprezece copii, gama uluitoare si diversitatea vietii lui Sligo este uluitoare. De la un tanar de auto-ingaduinta hedonista in Regency England pana la un legislator si proprietar reformator, responsabil, bine intentionat, Sligo a devenit consacrat in t istoria Jamaicii ca „Emancipator al sclavilor” si in Irlanda ca „Prietenul omului sarac” in cele mai dificile momente. Opt ani in scriere si provenind din peste 15.000 de manuscrise contemporane primare localizate de autor in arhive private si publice in intreaga lume, Marele Leviatan arunca o noua lumina asupra evenimentelor istorice semnificative si asupra oamenilor care le-au modelat in Irlanda, Anglia, Europa si Indiile de Vest, intr-o perioada de turbulenta si schimbare politica importanta.