A lighthearted historical novel, illustrated by Punch cartoons,
that's essentially a gently satirical catalogue of every major
character ever heard from in Victorian England. Statesmen and
clerics in the country of the Reformation are dismayed when, in
1849, Pope Pius IX issues an edict appointing Monsignor Wiseman, an
Englishman, as Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. Skillfully
exploited by the London Times editorials of John Delane, news of
the appointment and its ramifications for the Protestant
establishment have Prime Minister Lord Russell searching for a way
to limit the power, influence, and wealth of the Catholic Church
without antagonizing mostly Catholic Ireland. This is the
centerpiece around which revolve vignettes of the rich, famous,
infamous, and merely gifted of the era - Queen Victoria and her
Prince Albert; Benjamin Disraeli, leader in the House of Commons;
writers Carlyle and Thackeray; poet Alfred Tennyson; Karl Marx;
Florence Nightingale; a clutch of Pre-Raphaelite painters
(currently buoyed by Ruskin's support), and a host of others. All
this as the Great Crystal Palace is being erected - to boos and
bouquets. British journalist Lewis (The Evolution Man, 1993) tells
a story that has echoes in contemporary power politics and media
hype - and tells it with considerable charm. (Kirkus Reviews)
Cock of the Walk is an ingenious reconstruction of an episode in
English social and religious history. It is based in the
mid-Victorian era, at the turn of the Great Exhibition, and has
echoes today. Pope Pius IX hopes that the newly appointed Cardinal
Wiseman, Archbishop of Westminster, will spread the papal message
throughout Britain. But he has misjudged the strength of the
'anti-popery' establishment and the power of the press. Should the
British retaliate with a naval blockade? Lord Palmerston, the
Foreign Secretary rejects the idea. The Prime Minister, Lord John
Russell, is indecisive on this and other matters, including the
erection of the Crystal Palace. He half hopes it will fall down and
so divert attention from Wiseman. Thomas Carlyle bemoans the lack
of political vision, of leadership.... Meanwhile other activities
are afoot, including political intrigue. The Queen and Prince
Albert are brazen in their views of those in the corridors of
power. Her Majesty cannot abide that upstart Disraeli. A medley of
contemporary figures, the good and the great, flit across the
stage. These and the ambience of the period are authentically
captured in an entertaining narrative, spiced with a selection of
satirical engravings from Punch.
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