Literature for the People: How the Pioneering Macmillan Brothers Built a Publishing Powerhouse

by Sarah Harkness

From an impoverished childhood in the Scottish highlands to Victorian London, this is the inspiring story of two brothers – Daniel and Alexander Macmillan – who built a publishing empire - and brought Alice in Wonderland to the world. Their remarkable achievements are revealed in this entertaining, superbly researched biography.Daniel and Alexander arrived in London in the 1830s at a crucial moment of social change. These two idealistic brothers, working-class sons of a Scottish crofter, went on to set up a publishing house that spread radical ideas on equality, science and education across the world. They also brought authors like Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy and Charles Kingsley, and poets like Matthew Arnold and Christina Rossetti, to a mass audience. No longer would books be just for the upper classes. In Literature for the People Sarah Harkness brings to life these two warm-hearted men. Daniel was driven by the knowledge that he was living on borrowed time, his body ravaged by tuberculosis. Alexander took on responsibility for the company as well as Daniel’s family and turned a small business into an international powerhouse. He cultivated the literary greats of the time, weathered controversy and tragedy, and fostered a dynasty that would include future prime minister Harold Macmillan.Including fascinating insights about the great, the good and the sometimes wayward writers of the Victorian era, with feuds, friendships and passionate debate, this vibrant book is bursting with all the energy of that exciting period in history.

Genres: Nonfiction

569 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 2024

About the author

Sarah Harkness graduated from Oxford University in 1983 and had a twenty year career in corporate finance in the City, but has always been fascinated by Victorian art and literature. She is married to Peter, a former journalist and publisher, and has three adult children and a small dog. She now lives in the Cotswolds, near to Chipping Campden, at one time the home of Nelly Erichsen. When she isn’t reading and writing she gardens and quilts – not terribly successfully but with enormous enthusiasm. Nelly Erichse was her first book and in June 2019 the book was nominated for the William MB Berger prize for British Art History.
In December 2021, Sarah won the Tony Lothian Prize for an uncommissioned biography proposal. her book about the Macmillan Brothers, Literature for the People, was published by PanMacmillan in May 202.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK...a declaration of interest. Sarah is not unknown to me (!) But I have read this book through twice and I really think she has done a tremendous job. If you are a fan of biography, of true-life tales of enterprise and of sagas where the unlikely underdog achieves huge success, then you will definitely enjoy her latest book. And this time she has moved up to a major international publisher. Also, for the audio book fans, Sarah decided to read the book herself and I and sure you will agree that she has done a really good job which enhances the text as her enthusiasm for the subject and her knowledge of the era really comes across.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the Macmillan business and family illustrating Victorian entrepreneurship at its best.

[Andrew Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating, and meticulously researched, account. As ever, when reading about this period, it is striking how everyone seemed to know everyone, in literate Victorian society; so many of the period's writers, thinkers and philanthropists populate this story, a tribute to the central character of Alexander Macmillan and his qualities of literary sensibility, commercial acumen and whole-hearted benevolence.

Sarah Harkness captures all of that, and traces all the ups and downs of Macmillan's story from his very humble beginnings to his successful - but also tragedy-afflicted - final years.

Well worth reading, if you are interested in literature, in the Victorian period and family life, or in the impact of a benevolent and successful entrepreneur on both his own industry and many many beneficiaries.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book club read that I would not under any other circumstance have read. Effectively the biography of the two Macmillan brothers who founded the famous publishing empire. The author highlights the quote ‘No-one can read with profit that which he cannot learn to read with pleasure.’ and despite my initial lack of interest in the subject I found myself enjoying the book as it was clearly so well researched and really well written. A very readable albeit overly long novel.