William Blake vs the World: Peeling back the layers of the man who reimagined England

John Higgs’s new book is a fascinating deep dive into the life and work of ‘far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced’

John Higgs’s book greatly contributes to our contemporary appreciation of William Blake

BIOGRAPHY

William Blake vs the World

By John Higgs

Weidenfeld & Nicolson, €22.99

William Blake continues to fascinate and inspire nearly two centuries after his death. U2’s two most recent studio albums were entitled Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience after his work, while in the late 1960s the American composer David Axelrod also genuflected to the poet with a pair of records named after his most famous collection (which sold a paltry 30 ...