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Sir William
Sir William (1963) was the second entry in David Stacton's triptych of novels on the theme of 'The Sexes', for which he chose to fictionalise one of history's great love affairs. 'David Stacton's novel of the notorious menage a trois between the fetching Lady Hamilton, her husband Sir William, and her lover, Lord Nelson, is a scintillating piece of historical fiction.' New York World-Telegram 'Stacton's best book... written with epigrammatic wit and grace.' Kirkus Reviews 'A sweeping luxuriant romp through the pre-Trafalgar life of Lady Hamilton. Her Pygmalion rescue from whoredom by the ineffable Charles Greville is wickedly told.' Sunday Times 'Stacton is a magnificent storyteller.' Book Week
364 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
9 people want to read
About the author
David Stacton
53 books10 followersAka Bud Clifton
David Derek Stacton (1925–1968) was a U.S. novelist, historian and poet. He was born on 25 April 1925 in Minden, Nevada. Stacton attended Stanford University from 1941–43, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. He served in the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector then lived in Europe from 1950–1954, 1960–1962, and 1964–1965. Stacton wrote under the pseudonyms Carse Boyd, Bud Clifton, David Dereksen and David West. Most of his books were originally published in England. He died of a stroke 19 January 1968 in Fredensborg, Denmark.
Stacton's novels are often low in dialogue, and his better novels are instead full of his witty scornful comments on his characters and life. At his best Stacton had an epigrammatic style and enjoyed a sophisticated irony, although antipathetic critics took him to task for pretentious vocabulary, a tendency to florid paradoxes, and anachronistic allusions (i.e. describing a 14th century Zen garden using phrases from Marianne Moore and Peter Pan). In 1963, Time magazine praised his work as "masses of epigrams marinated in a stinging mixture of metaphysics and blood" and suggested that "something similar might have been the result if the Duc de la Rochefoucauld had written novels with plots suggested by Jack London". His other literary influences include Walter Pater, for his choice of characters with frustrated artistic and emotional longings, and Lytton Strachey for his witty attention to history. Several of Stacton's novels feature homosexual characters prominently. Fans of David Stacton include John Crowley, Thomas M. Disch, and Peter Beagle.
David Derek Stacton (1925–1968) was a U.S. novelist, historian and poet. He was born on 25 April 1925 in Minden, Nevada. Stacton attended Stanford University from 1941–43, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. He served in the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector then lived in Europe from 1950–1954, 1960–1962, and 1964–1965. Stacton wrote under the pseudonyms Carse Boyd, Bud Clifton, David Dereksen and David West. Most of his books were originally published in England. He died of a stroke 19 January 1968 in Fredensborg, Denmark.
Stacton's novels are often low in dialogue, and his better novels are instead full of his witty scornful comments on his characters and life. At his best Stacton had an epigrammatic style and enjoyed a sophisticated irony, although antipathetic critics took him to task for pretentious vocabulary, a tendency to florid paradoxes, and anachronistic allusions (i.e. describing a 14th century Zen garden using phrases from Marianne Moore and Peter Pan). In 1963, Time magazine praised his work as "masses of epigrams marinated in a stinging mixture of metaphysics and blood" and suggested that "something similar might have been the result if the Duc de la Rochefoucauld had written novels with plots suggested by Jack London". His other literary influences include Walter Pater, for his choice of characters with frustrated artistic and emotional longings, and Lytton Strachey for his witty attention to history. Several of Stacton's novels feature homosexual characters prominently. Fans of David Stacton include John Crowley, Thomas M. Disch, and Peter Beagle.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 22, 2025
'Sir William: Or A Lesson in Love by David Stacton is a richly layered historical novel that delves into the life and loves of Sir William Hamilton, a British diplomat and antiquarian whose fascinating relationships became the stuff of legend. Set in the opulent and turbulent world of 18th-century Europe, this novel masterfully intertwines personal passion, political intrigue, and the allure of art and beauty. At the heart of the story is the complex and unconventional triangle between Sir William, his vivacious and captivating wife Emma Hamilton, and the heroic Admiral Horatio Nelson.
"Through Stacton's elegant prose and incisive characterizations, the novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and ambition, painting a vivid picture of a world where personal desires often collide with public duties. Stacton's Sir William is a man torn between his devotion to Emma, his deep appreciation for the classical world, and his position as a diplomat in a time of great upheaval. Emma's charm and bold spirit, combined with her relationship with Nelson, add layers of tension and drama to the narrative, making this not just a historical tale but a timeless exploration of human connections and the price of passion.
"With its vivid settings, from the grandeur of Naples to the drama of the high seas, and its thoughtful examination of historical figures as deeply human and flawed, Sir William: Or A Lesson in Love is a compelling and thought-provoking novel. Stacton brings his trademark wit and insight to this unforgettable story, capturing both the sweep of history and the intimate details of a remarkable love affair. Ideal for readers of historical fiction and those intrigued by the complexities of love and power, this novel is a timeless reflection on the interplay between personal desire and the demands of a changing world.' Taken from the kindle edition of 'Sir William' which for some reason has a separate listing on GR. But I prefer the following as an introduction to this novel:
"Nelson stood watching her. On board ship he was the great man. Anywhere else, he was all at sea. Rather shyly, like a boy at his first ball, he went forward to say good morning, a thin, pale, jaundiced, bilious, one eyed, one armed, balding little man, with a limp.
"Emma, turning, saw neither this puny creature, a mere human, nor the genius inside, but instead that more imposing object, the Hero of the Nile, the friend of the Duke of Clarence, Admiral Nelson, 'their' Nelson, Baron Nelson and who knew what further distinctions were to come.
"Isn't it exciting," she said.
"He thought she meant the deployment of the ships. "Oh yes, it always is." She had a feeling for these things. She understood him. He felt at his ease, a thing he seldom felt with women. "Dear Emma," he said. He had himself become plummy. He was ripe to fall.
"Poor Nelson," thought Sir William, who had just come topside," he has not the sophistication for Emma's simplicity." From the jacket flyleaf of the 1963 hardback edition from Faber & Faber in the UK not listed on GR, surprising considering that he was first published in the UK and only then in the USA. Like James Purdy it was only thanks to a UK publisher that an American one discovered an American genius.
David Stacton is an extraordinary writer, this was his thirteenth novel since 1954 (under his own name he had also published ten pulp novels under at least four pseudonyms) and I cannot recommend to highly that you explore this author via some excellent sites of which I recommend two: https://moly.hu/alkotok/david-stacton... and https://www.theguardian.com/books/201.... This is the third book by Stacton I have read in as many months and will not be the last. Although he described it as the second book in his 'Sexes Triptych' you do not need to read them in any specific order (Stacton was fond of grouping his novels into triptychs, he had triptychs of 'American' and 'Invincible Questions' as well).
Considering how good the novel is and the praise it received on publication it is scandalous that if you search online for the three personages in this tale of the most notorious menage a trois in 18th century UK/European history (Sir William and Lady Emma Hamilton (see my footnote *1 below) and Horatio Nelson you will find only the mention of 'The Volcano Lover' by Susan Sontag and with all due respect to Ms. Sontag she is not a writer of the caliber of David Stacton. Her novel has been compared to Walter Scott while Stacton, when alive, was ranked by Time magazine in 1963 with writers such as John Updike, Joseph Heller, Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth, Ralph Ellison and Walker Percy.
Like his 'Old Acquaintance' (which I reviewed in December 2024) 'Sir William' is an incomparable exercise in inhabiting a historical period and characters with such skill and a light touch that the immense erudition that has gone into its creation is not noticed. It is so effortless that readers used to the ponderously obviousness of the 'period exactitude' of current authors (I am particularly thinking of 'The Strangers Child' or almost any of the novels of Alan Hollinghurst) will not simply not notice Stacton's deft conjuring of period but imagine he isn't even trying. Of course to paraphrase Laurence Olivier to Dustin Hoffmann 'why don't you just try writing?'.
'Few writers have managed more fully than Stacton to bear out Gore Vidal's maxim that writers shouldn't "write what they know" but, rather, what they imagine or suspect. The Stacton oeuvre also flies in the face of Michael Frayn's droll advice that authors do well to write the same book "over and over again, just very slightly different, so that people get used to it".' (from the Guardian article referenced above).
Although ostensibly about Sir William Hamilton this novel is almost as much about Emma Hamilton (originally Amy Lyon). Indeed almost the first third of the novel is about Emma seen from callow youth through formation and on to her date with destiny. Sir William and Nelson appear only in relation to her and although Sir William is at the centre (in that the novel ends with his death) and Nelson is, in a sense the deus ex machina, they only come to life in terms of their relationship, individually and with each other, in terms of Emma.
I quoted so extensively from the novel's original publishers blurb because it gives a much greater indication of the novel's style than the Kindle synopsis. Stacton's witty epigrammatic style begs to be quoted but I have restrained myself to only two excerpts:
"Their last night in Malta was also the last reunion of Nelson and his old officers. Being British, his officers were amateurs in the best sense, unlike the French, who were professionals in the worst. No doubt Nelson would miss them, for now he had finally had his experience of women, naturally he would prefer male company, and after tonight, his male cronies would scatter, despite a similar preference, to homes of their own. Your amateur is rewarded with medals, titles and modest estates; your professional yearns for a throne, and so must play musical chairs with all Europe. But both of them long to be left in peace."
and:
'"Miss Knight was neither good nor bad, but merely that very nineteenth-century thing, a lady. She had adapted to the times and would never move with them...
'"Mrs. Cadogan, who did not move with the times and was unmoved by them, took the striped cloth off a picnic hamper and began to gnaw a chicken leg...Miss Knight...felt no appetite.
'"The way I look at it, it's now or never,' said Mrs. Cadogan, 'and though I cooked it myself its not bad."
'This statement struck Miss Knight as being ungenteel, but quite rightly perceiving that to say so would be ungracious she complained instead of a slight headache...'
It is only with considerable restraint that I have confined myself to these brief excerpts. Stacton's prose is a joy, maybe a subtle one, certainly not au currant. He was part of no writers' clique in the UK or USA and his writing emerged from no university school of creative writing. He is unique, 'Sir William' is a novel both unique and beautiful. Although I have said much about what Stacton's writing but have barely said a fraction of what I would love to say and I am convinced that 'Sir William' contains more of Stacton and more truth than most current Metafiction.
I think David Stacton incomparable and 'Sir William' ha been one of my great reading pleasures of 2025.
*1 I am aware that as the wife of a Baronet and not a peer, Emma Hamilton should only be referred to as Lady Hamilton which properly was reserved for wives and daughters of peers, but it makes life convenient to break this rule and I doubt anyone, except the most antiquarian of UK readers would know this or care.
"Through Stacton's elegant prose and incisive characterizations, the novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and ambition, painting a vivid picture of a world where personal desires often collide with public duties. Stacton's Sir William is a man torn between his devotion to Emma, his deep appreciation for the classical world, and his position as a diplomat in a time of great upheaval. Emma's charm and bold spirit, combined with her relationship with Nelson, add layers of tension and drama to the narrative, making this not just a historical tale but a timeless exploration of human connections and the price of passion.
"With its vivid settings, from the grandeur of Naples to the drama of the high seas, and its thoughtful examination of historical figures as deeply human and flawed, Sir William: Or A Lesson in Love is a compelling and thought-provoking novel. Stacton brings his trademark wit and insight to this unforgettable story, capturing both the sweep of history and the intimate details of a remarkable love affair. Ideal for readers of historical fiction and those intrigued by the complexities of love and power, this novel is a timeless reflection on the interplay between personal desire and the demands of a changing world.' Taken from the kindle edition of 'Sir William' which for some reason has a separate listing on GR. But I prefer the following as an introduction to this novel:
"Nelson stood watching her. On board ship he was the great man. Anywhere else, he was all at sea. Rather shyly, like a boy at his first ball, he went forward to say good morning, a thin, pale, jaundiced, bilious, one eyed, one armed, balding little man, with a limp.
"Emma, turning, saw neither this puny creature, a mere human, nor the genius inside, but instead that more imposing object, the Hero of the Nile, the friend of the Duke of Clarence, Admiral Nelson, 'their' Nelson, Baron Nelson and who knew what further distinctions were to come.
"Isn't it exciting," she said.
"He thought she meant the deployment of the ships. "Oh yes, it always is." She had a feeling for these things. She understood him. He felt at his ease, a thing he seldom felt with women. "Dear Emma," he said. He had himself become plummy. He was ripe to fall.
"Poor Nelson," thought Sir William, who had just come topside," he has not the sophistication for Emma's simplicity." From the jacket flyleaf of the 1963 hardback edition from Faber & Faber in the UK not listed on GR, surprising considering that he was first published in the UK and only then in the USA. Like James Purdy it was only thanks to a UK publisher that an American one discovered an American genius.
David Stacton is an extraordinary writer, this was his thirteenth novel since 1954 (under his own name he had also published ten pulp novels under at least four pseudonyms) and I cannot recommend to highly that you explore this author via some excellent sites of which I recommend two: https://moly.hu/alkotok/david-stacton... and https://www.theguardian.com/books/201.... This is the third book by Stacton I have read in as many months and will not be the last. Although he described it as the second book in his 'Sexes Triptych' you do not need to read them in any specific order (Stacton was fond of grouping his novels into triptychs, he had triptychs of 'American' and 'Invincible Questions' as well).
Considering how good the novel is and the praise it received on publication it is scandalous that if you search online for the three personages in this tale of the most notorious menage a trois in 18th century UK/European history (Sir William and Lady Emma Hamilton (see my footnote *1 below) and Horatio Nelson you will find only the mention of 'The Volcano Lover' by Susan Sontag and with all due respect to Ms. Sontag she is not a writer of the caliber of David Stacton. Her novel has been compared to Walter Scott while Stacton, when alive, was ranked by Time magazine in 1963 with writers such as John Updike, Joseph Heller, Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth, Ralph Ellison and Walker Percy.
Like his 'Old Acquaintance' (which I reviewed in December 2024) 'Sir William' is an incomparable exercise in inhabiting a historical period and characters with such skill and a light touch that the immense erudition that has gone into its creation is not noticed. It is so effortless that readers used to the ponderously obviousness of the 'period exactitude' of current authors (I am particularly thinking of 'The Strangers Child' or almost any of the novels of Alan Hollinghurst) will not simply not notice Stacton's deft conjuring of period but imagine he isn't even trying. Of course to paraphrase Laurence Olivier to Dustin Hoffmann 'why don't you just try writing?'.
'Few writers have managed more fully than Stacton to bear out Gore Vidal's maxim that writers shouldn't "write what they know" but, rather, what they imagine or suspect. The Stacton oeuvre also flies in the face of Michael Frayn's droll advice that authors do well to write the same book "over and over again, just very slightly different, so that people get used to it".' (from the Guardian article referenced above).
Although ostensibly about Sir William Hamilton this novel is almost as much about Emma Hamilton (originally Amy Lyon). Indeed almost the first third of the novel is about Emma seen from callow youth through formation and on to her date with destiny. Sir William and Nelson appear only in relation to her and although Sir William is at the centre (in that the novel ends with his death) and Nelson is, in a sense the deus ex machina, they only come to life in terms of their relationship, individually and with each other, in terms of Emma.
I quoted so extensively from the novel's original publishers blurb because it gives a much greater indication of the novel's style than the Kindle synopsis. Stacton's witty epigrammatic style begs to be quoted but I have restrained myself to only two excerpts:
"Their last night in Malta was also the last reunion of Nelson and his old officers. Being British, his officers were amateurs in the best sense, unlike the French, who were professionals in the worst. No doubt Nelson would miss them, for now he had finally had his experience of women, naturally he would prefer male company, and after tonight, his male cronies would scatter, despite a similar preference, to homes of their own. Your amateur is rewarded with medals, titles and modest estates; your professional yearns for a throne, and so must play musical chairs with all Europe. But both of them long to be left in peace."
and:
'"Miss Knight was neither good nor bad, but merely that very nineteenth-century thing, a lady. She had adapted to the times and would never move with them...
'"Mrs. Cadogan, who did not move with the times and was unmoved by them, took the striped cloth off a picnic hamper and began to gnaw a chicken leg...Miss Knight...felt no appetite.
'"The way I look at it, it's now or never,' said Mrs. Cadogan, 'and though I cooked it myself its not bad."
'This statement struck Miss Knight as being ungenteel, but quite rightly perceiving that to say so would be ungracious she complained instead of a slight headache...'
It is only with considerable restraint that I have confined myself to these brief excerpts. Stacton's prose is a joy, maybe a subtle one, certainly not au currant. He was part of no writers' clique in the UK or USA and his writing emerged from no university school of creative writing. He is unique, 'Sir William' is a novel both unique and beautiful. Although I have said much about what Stacton's writing but have barely said a fraction of what I would love to say and I am convinced that 'Sir William' contains more of Stacton and more truth than most current Metafiction.
I think David Stacton incomparable and 'Sir William' ha been one of my great reading pleasures of 2025.
*1 I am aware that as the wife of a Baronet and not a peer, Emma Hamilton should only be referred to as Lady Hamilton which properly was reserved for wives and daughters of peers, but it makes life convenient to break this rule and I doubt anyone, except the most antiquarian of UK readers would know this or care.
July 23, 2023
I love the way Stacton writes. Sometimes this book seemed disjointed, but I think it's because I knew nothing about Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, and little about the time period. I did do some reading to familiarize myself, and that helped. But again, the writing was superb.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews