John Milton

“The 400th anniversary of Milton’s birth provided Hawkes the opportunity to reexamine the great poet not only within a 17th–century context but in a 21st–century one, too. During an era of great unrest in England, Milton provoked controversy and debate over his ideas of sex, economics, religion, and political power systems. Thought to be ahead of his time, Milton frequently declared that he was not solely speaking to his contemporaries but to the people of the future. Here, Hawkes examines Milton’s iconoclasm and his belief that the worshiping of images of all kinds, both figurative and metaphorical, was destructive. Interweaving historical events of his time, such as the Rump Parliament of 1649, Hawkes illuminates Milton’s philosophy via his prose and poetry. Although contemporary readers may disapprove of Milton’s beliefshe was in favor of polygamy and believed God picked “chosen ones” to lead the masseshe never made for dull reading. VERDICT Hawkes writes with little academic jargon, and his style is lively and entertaining. Political and religious history enthusiasts will find this excellent and challenging.” —Library Journal