AustLit

'Cunning is not regarded positively in today's society, despite being so prevalent. 'Cold, calculating and cunning' is how Lady Jane Franklin described John Montagu, thereby assuring us that she was none of the above. This book in its analysis of colonial politics is what Carol and Peter Stearns define as an 'emotionology' — a study of 'appropriate emotional standards' of the early nineteenth century. Joel's book examines how one is expected to seem to conduct politics. We have to decide ourselves if Montagu was indeed manipulating a political climate or whether Lady Jane Franklin, information broker for this period, would like us to think he was.' (Introduction)