Ceremonies of Bravery
Oscar Wilde, Carlos Blacker, and the Dreyfus Affair
J. Robert Maguire
Reviews and Awards
"the most original part of Ceremonies of Bravery is undoubtedly its account of the indirect participation of Wilde and Blacker in the Dreyfus affair which eventually led to their estrangement." - John Stokes, Review of English Studies
"Maguire offers a beautifully written, meticulously researched, and suspenseful book. It is sometimes difficult to call an academic work a page-turner, but the dramatic setup of Ceremonies of Bravery - namely, why did Oscar Wilde and Carlos Blacker have a falling out over the Dreyfus affair? - is emotionally and intellectually involving. Maguire succeeds in painting a vivid portrait of the interactions between Wilde and Blacker during Wilde's imprisonment, as well as making clear the nature of their involvement in the Dreyfus case ... Essential." - J. W. Moffett, Choice
"Ceremonies of Bravery is a recondite book, written with lawyerly precision and patrician understatement, but it also has rare charm. The loving care with which Maguire has assembled his odd, out-of-the-way story is palpable." - Richard Davenport-Hines, The Spectator
"Ceremonies of Bravery is an exceptional book for a simple reason; it tells a fascinating story and fills in many gaps in our knowledge of the last years in the life of Oscar Wilde." - Imad Moustapha, Weblog of a Syrian Diplomat in America
"...a richly detailed, well-written and meticulously researched account of previously neglected associations" - Robert Finnigan, Irish Studies Review