Junius and his works : a history of the letters of Junius and the authorship controversy /

Cordasco (Montclair State) is an avid bibliographer who for 40 years has traced the career of the political controversialist who signed ``Junius'' to the inflammatory letters he sent to the London Public Advertiser. This book contains a 120-page paraphrase of the letters and generally endorses their bitter criticism of George III and his ministers. Much of the material was apparently written by the shadowy Gustave Simonson (18641930?), whom Cordasco acknowledges as coauthor. Cordasco is a leading opponent of the ``Franciscan Theory'' that assigns authorship of Junius's letters to Sir Philip Francis, but admits that he cannot prove that his own favorite candidate, Laughlin Macleane, was Junius. Instead, after a 150-page summary of the controversy, Cordasco concludes that scholars shall never know Junius's identity. The mystery of Junius is ever fascinating, but increasingly peripheral to the study of 18th-century British politics. Readers will find more balanced, current, and scholarly treatment in The Letters of Junius, ed. by John Cannon (1978); in addition, Cordasco has revised his own A Junius Bibliography (CH, Dec '86). Public, college, and community college libraries.-J.R. Breihan, Loyola College