INTRODUCTION
William Beckford, born in 1759, the year before the
accession of King George the Third, was the son of
an Alderman who became twice Lord Mayor of London.
His family, originally of ...
Read more
In a letter dated from Geneva on 24 November 1777, William Beckford alludes quaintly to his "Centrical History," a youthful narrative fantasy that was then occupying his spare moments. Like almost all...
Read more
William Beckford, author of the Gothic novel Vathek (1787), was an eccentric and enthusiastic collector of books and art. Famous for commissioning the construction of Fonthill Abbey, the most remarka...
Read more
The History of Caliph Vathek
William Beckford