John Hancock - A Character Sketch

by John R. Musick

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

114 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2010

About the author

John Roy Musick was an American historical author and poet. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Benjamin Broadaxe/Broadax, Ebenezer Slypole, and Don Jenardo.
He earned a Bachelor of Scientific Didactics from the First District Normal School in 1874. After teaching a term, he started legal studies and in 1876 he passed the Bar exam and took up the practice of law. In 1882 he abandoned his legal career to become a full-time writer.

Reviews

[Jeremy Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the latter half of the book made the first half worth the drudgery, I couldn't help but find myself constantly arguing with a dead author over the absurdities of his narrative. Rather than speaking of his character, also dead, as a matter of historical record, Musick raised him up to the level of a flawless deity, pretending to know his innermost feelings at various moments, even going so far as to say that the "great man" Hancock's "soul" was "thrilled" at the signing of the Declaration. I got it. Musick loves Hancock.

Redemption came when I realized Musick had only written historical fiction, as if for children, and that the second half was rooted, by other authors, in primary sources. No one half-interested in Hancock would have given this book their time of day. I just have an obsession with history and didn't want to give up on a collection of texts I hoped would get better. It did, but again, with far too much drudgery.