A C Benson

A collection of rare ghosts and horror stories by the brothers of one of the finest writers of the genre, E. F. Benson. The Benson brothers – Arthur Christopher, Edward Frederic and Robert Hugh – were one of the most extraordinary and prolific literary families, between them writing more than 150 books. Arthur alone left four million words of diary, although his most lasting legacy is the words to Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory, while Fred is acknowledged as one of the finest writers of Edwardian supernatural fiction: the name E. F. Benson is mentioned in the same breath as other greats such as M. R. James and H. R. Wakefield. In fact, all three brothers wrote ghost stories, although the work of Arthur and Hugh in this field has long been overshadowed by their brother’s success. Now the best supernatural tales of A. C. and R. H. Benson have been gathered into one volume by anthologist Hugh Lamb, whose introduction examines the lives and writings of these two complex and fascinating men. Originally published between 1903 and 1927, the stories include A. C. Benson’s masterful ‘Basil Netherby’ and ‘The Uttermost Farthing’, and an intriguing article by R. H. Benson about real-life haunted houses.

A. C. Benson (1862-1925), novelist, poet (he wrote Land of Hope and Glory), educationalist and Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, kept a voluminous diary for most of his life. Considered too controversial at the time, it was sealed up after his death. Only now, with the publication of this extensive selection, can his witty and acute judgements on people, institutions and issues – including Henry James, Thomas Hardy, Queen Victoria, Dean Inge, Balfour, Asquith, Eton and Cambridge – be fully appreciated. He paints an endlessly fascinating and often very funny picture of a public life at the heart of the Edwardian literary, educational, church and political establishments; but also of a private life riven by the pressures of unconsummated romantic attachments to young men, and by attacks of appalling depression, an illness then barely understood. Historians Eamon Duffy and Ronald Hyam made this 300,000-word selection, adding a substantial introduction, footnotes, chronology, index and photographs. It is presented as two hardbacks in a slipcase.

Arthur Christopher Benson (24 April 1862 - 17 June 1925) was an English essayist, poet, author and academic and the 28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is noted for writing the words of the song "Land of Hope and Glory". Early life and family: Benson was born on 24 April 1862 at Wellington College, Berkshire, the son of Edward White Benson (1829-1896), first headmaster of the college. He was one of six children of Edward White Benson (Archbishop of Canterbury, 1882-96) and his wife Mary Sidgwick Benson, sister of the philosopher Henry Sidgwick. Benson was born into a literary family; his brothers included Edward Frederic Benson, best remembered for his Mapp and Lucia novels, and Robert Hugh Benson, a priest of the Church of England before converting to Roman Catholicism, who wrote many popular novels. Their sister, Margaret Benson, was an artist, author, and amateur Egyptologist. The Benson family was exceptionally accomplished, but their history was somewhat tragic; a son and daughter died young; and another daughter, as well as Arthur himself, suffered from a mental condition that was possibly bipolar disorder or manic-depressive psychosis, which they had inherited from their father. None of the children married.Despite his illness, Arthur was a distinguished academic and a prolific author. From the ages of 10 to 21, he lived in cathedral closes, first at Lincoln where his father was Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, and then at Truro where his father was the first Bishop of Truro. He retained a love of church music and ceremony. During 1874 he won a scholarship to Eton from Temple Grove School, a preparatory school in East Sheen. He became a student of King's College, Cambridge during 1881, where he was a scholar and scored first for the Classical tripos during 1884. Career: From 1885 to 1903 he taught at Eton, returning to Cambridge in 1904 as a Fellow of Magdalene College to lecture in English Literature. He became president of the college in 1912 and Master of Magdalene in December 1915, a post he held until his death in 1925. From 1906, he was a governor of Gresham's School. The modern development of Magdalene was shaped by Benson. He was a generous benefactor to the college with a significant impact on the modern appearance of the college grounds; at least twenty inscriptions around the college refer to him. In 1930, Benson Court was constructed and named after him. He collaborated with Lord Esher in editing the correspondence of Queen Victoria (1907). His poems and volumes of essays, such as From a College Window, and The Upton Letters (essays in the form of letters) were famous during his time; and he left one of the longest diaries ever written, some four million words. Extracts from the diaries are printed in Edwardian Excursions. From the Diaries of A. C. Benson, 1898-1904, ed. David Newsome, London: John Murray, 1981. His literary criticisms of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward FitzGerald, Walter Pater and John Ruskin, rank among his best work. Today, he is best remembered as the author of the words of one of Britain's best-known patriotic songs, Land of Hope and Glory, written for the coronation of King Edward VII. Like his brothers Edward Frederic (E. F.) and Robert Hugh (R. H.), A. C. Benson was noted as an author of ghost stories. The bulk of his published ghost stories in the two volumes The Hill of Trouble and Other Stories (1903) and The Isles of Sunset (1904) were written as moral allegories for his pupils. After Arthur's death, Fred Benson found a collection of unpublished ghost stories. He included two of them in a book, Basil Netherby (1927); the title story was renamed "House at Treheale" and the volume was completed by the long "The Uttermost Farthing"; the fate of the rest of the stories is unknown. The collection Paul the Minstrel and Other Stories (1911; reprint 1977, collects the contents of The Hill of Trouble and Other Stories and The Isles of Sunset.........

Arthur Christopher Benson, FRSL (24 April 1862 - 17 June 1925) was an English essayist, poet, author and academic and the 28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is noted for having written the words of the song "Land of Hope and Glory". From 1885 to 1903 he taught at Eton, but returned to Cambridge in 1904 as a Fellow of Magdalene College to lecture in English Literature. He became president of the college (the Master's deputy) in 1912, and he was Master of Magdalene (head of the college) from December 1915 until his death in 1925. From 1906, he was a governor of Gresham's School.

A.C. Benson's allegorical fantasy about life, reincarnation, and the persistance of the human spirit.

Tales of ghosts and horrors from a renowned literary academicArthur Christopher Benson was born in 1862 one of six children fathered by Edward White Benson, an Archbishop of Canterbury. A. C. Benson (as he is usually known) was an academic who became master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and is today possibly best remembered for writing the stirring lyrics to the British patriotic song 'Land of Hope and Glory' which is part of Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No 1'. Most of the Benson family were talented, but three brothers, Arthur Christopher, Edward Frederic (E. F.) and Robert Hugh (R. H.) became especially notable in the world of supernatural fiction. There can be little doubt that the literary laurels go to E. F. Benson whose output of supernatural fiction was particularly prolific, although he is also remembered as the writer of many other works including the humorous 'Mapp and Lucia' stories of English middle class 'one-upmanship'. Nevertheless, the fiction of the weird and ghostly penned by the other Benson brothers will appeal to all aficionados of the golden age of the genre. Many of the stories written by A. C. Benson are moral allegories, although 'Basil Netherby' has been judged to be of the highest standard among horror stories despite its comparative obscurity. In the past the supernatural stories of A. C. and R. H. Benson have possibly been neglected, underrated or selectively combined to form single volumes, but Leonaur now offers collections of stories by each author separately as they undoubtedly merit.Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

Tales of ghosts and horrors from a renowned literary academicArthur Christopher Benson was born in 1862 one of six children fathered by Edward White Benson, an Archbishop of Canterbury. A. C. Benson (as he is usually known) was an academic who became master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and is today possibly best remembered for writing the stirring lyrics to the British patriotic song 'Land of Hope and Glory' which is part of Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No 1'. Most of the Benson family were talented, but three brothers, Arthur Christopher, Edward Frederic (E. F.) and Robert Hugh (R. H.) became especially notable in the world of supernatural fiction. There can be little doubt that the literary laurels go to E. F. Benson whose output of supernatural fiction was particularly prolific, although he is also remembered as the writer of many other works including the humorous 'Mapp and Lucia' stories of English middle class 'one-upmanship'. Nevertheless, the fiction of the weird and ghostly penned by the other Benson brothers will appeal to all aficionados of the golden age of the genre. Many of the stories written by A. C. Benson are moral allegories, although 'Basil Netherby' has been judged to be of the highest standard among horror stories despite its comparative obscurity. In the past the supernatural stories of A. C. and R. H. Benson have possibly been neglected, underrated or selectively combined to form single volumes, but Leonaur now offers collections of stories by each author separately as they undoubtedly merit.Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.