William Blake and the Impossible History of the 1790s Paperback – December 15, 2002

There are a number of virtues in this book -- particularly the re-iterated point that Blake occupies a complicated position between the liberal radicals of the 1790s and the conservatives of the same era, due in large part to his saturatiion in apocalyptic religion and his artisanal heritage. The discussion on time in the context of the Industrial Revolution is also interesting. But the whole book is far, far too long, and makes a number of dubious points in order to further the author's academic agenda (the chapter on Romantic imperialism, derived from the author's earlier book, is interesting on other people than Blake, but is hardly convincing on Blake). There are the usual faddish references to Deleuze, etc., of no real import here.The interested reader on Blake should go back to "Prophet Against Empire"; -- more facts, less interpretation.