THE HELLFIRE CLUB by Daniel P Mannix
Ibooks (Simon & Schuster) - May 2001
ISBN 0743413156 - Paperback
Historical Nonfiction - England (various locations) - Mid 18th century
Adult content

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.com
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The Hellfire Club typifies people's idea of 18th century England at its most bawdy, and corruption in high places at its worst. In this "underground classic" from 1961 Mannix tells all - and then some. The brainchild of Sir Francis Dashwood in the early 18th century it counted among its member's politicians, a clergyman, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Prime Minister, the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury and several prominent writers. Mannix gleefully describes their orgies, the sexual mores of the day (or lack of them), their blasphemy and violence all mixed up with their taste, wit, style and general high level of intelligence, albeit misplaced and wasted in most cases. He fits all this into a highly-charged picture of 18th century life which mixes up the different periods somewhat and gives the whole thing a Hollywood flavor reminiscent of historical pulp fiction at its most entertaining but least factual. This muddle spoils what is outwardly factual enough but contributes perhaps to the breathless, decadent mix of fact and guesswork that makes this book so appealing.

To Mannix the most important aspect of the club's existence was how John Wilkes was involved in it and much is made of how the club dragged British politics into chaos and their association with first the aged George II and then his ineffectual son. All this helped contribute to the success of the War of Independence and according to Mannix was one of the main reasons why Britain lost America as a colony. Whether this is taken as gospel or not this is nothing if not a thoroughly entertaining read and a romp through the excesses of the 18th century and to his credit Mannix does present a compelling (if given to hyperbole) picture of how people of the Age of Enlightenment viewed religion, education, politics and how they stood between the modern age and all that had gone before. All in all, this is well worth reading.