Of Ink, Wit and Intrigue

Of Ink, Wit and Intrigue is a quirky historical fiction, weaving known facts in the life of one of England’s most notorious wastrels, wits, poets and libertines, John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), with invented episodes, both bizarre and plausible. The book characterises the life of this infamous and fantastical man, and those of his meritorious wife and beloved children, his friends and his enemies. It also portrays his romantic infatuation and adoration for his mistress, the celebrated actress Mrs. Elizabeth Barry. Rochester vividly narrates the intimate events of his odd and audacious life, in England and abroad. His story reveals his associations with all ranks of people and all manner of places and buildings, including London, the idyllic Cotswolds of his birth, Dorset and Somerset. Many of the locations in his story are still evident today, wherein his extraordinary spirit lives on. Of Ink, Wit and Intrigue is a unique novel, recounted with candour, that invites the reader into Rochester’s inimitable life. It will appeal widely to anyone with either a passing or a keen interest in the infamous times of England’s seventeenth century and its people – as well as fans of historical fiction in general.