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Title: Sloppy rehash of lots of great but often unfounded gossip
Review: Like the story of Sawney Beane, the more outre exploits of Dashwood and his Franciscan Friars will be repeated as fact as long ass there are people more interested in sensational stories than truth. Much of it had its origin in politically motivated slander by former associate John Wilkes, another fascinating character. Mannix's book is an enjoyable read, but don't take it too seriously since, as with most who have written about Dashwood's "Hell Fie Club," he didn't want any real research (and possible attendant debunking) to get in the way of any good stories. This is even more enjoyable if read in tandem with a good biography of Dashwood so that you can sort out the BS for yourself.
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