For the first time, the remarkable story that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped. No saga of personal hardship so captivated the British public in the eighteenth century as that of James Annesley, the presumptive heir of five aristocratic titles and scion of the mighty house of Annesley. Kidnapped at twelve years of age by his uncle, James was shipped from Dublin to America in 1728 as an indentured servant. Only after thirteen years did he finally manage to escape, returning to Ireland to bring his blood rival, the Earl of Anglesea, to justice in one of the epic trials of the century.

How, in an age without DNA laboratories or paternity tests, could a prodigal hope to prove his identity and his legitimacy after such a long absence? Richly evoking the volatile world of Georgian Ireland—complete with its violence, debauchery, ancient rituals, and tenacious loyalties—award-winning author A. Roger Ekirch recounts an extraordinary family drama of betrayal and loss, but also of resilience, survival, and redemption. 26 illustrations; 3 maps.

שם הספר
At Day's Close: Night in Times Past