Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Winner of the Adult Non-Fiction section of the Holyer an GofAwards 2006, and Overall Winner of the Holyer an Gof Trophy, this gripping biographical study explores the immensely complicated relationship that existed between A.L. Rowse and his native Cornwall. Rowse’s books, A Cornish Childhood and Tudor Cornwall, remain in strong demand, essential reading for the general reader and historian alike, and for all those who know and love Cornwall. By shedding new light on this complex character, Payton invites a greater understanding of the broader issues of Cornish identity as well as assessing Rowse’s highly original contribution to the writing of British and Cornish history.Synopsis
Rowse's complex and sometimes troubled 93-year relationship with his native Cornwall included the conviction that it should be a considered a Celtic realm quite apart from England. He reveled in the "difference" of being Cornish, but he also understood the "difference" of being different. Payton (Cornish studies, U. of Exeter) makes extensive use of Rowse's private papers, finding that Rowse's identity as a Cornishman is key to understanding his complex relationships, professional or private, which were marked by conflicting prejudices and loyalties punctuated by secrets. The result, to outside observers of Rowse's life and even some of his work, resulted in argument seemingly for its own sake or frustrating and enigmatic silences. Distributed in the US by the David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR