First published in 1944, Magdalen King-Hall's Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton is a historical novel set in late-seventeenth-century England. It tells the story of Barbara Skelton, a well-born young woman trapped in a loveless marriage, who finds escape from the tedium of her life by leading a double life as a highway robber. Rich in historical detail and high on melodrama, the novel follows Barbara's infamous career of robbery, adultery and murder, without painting her entirely as a monster. Indeed, the novel's status as a bestseller owes much to King-Hall's sympathetic depiction of the frustrations of domestic life for an ambitious, intelligent woman with no means of self-expression.

About the Author
Rowland Hughes is a Principal Lecturer in English Literature and American Studies at the University of Hertfordshire. He has previously published work on American Literature, and on British and American film.

Magdalen King-Hall (1904 - 1971) was an English novelist, journalist and children's fiction writer.


Book Information
ISBN 9781909291348
Author Rowland Hughes
Format Paperback
Page Count 296
Imprint University of Hertfordshire Press
Publisher University of Hertfordshire Press
Weight(grams) 333g