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The Man Who Sold Honours
Book •
Stephen Bates's 'The Man Who Sold Honours' explores the career of Maundy Gregory, a notorious figure who profited from selling British honours in the 1910s and 1920s, prompting legal reforms.
The book reconstructs how Gregory manipulated political patronage and extended his schemes to sell papal knighthoods when British honours ran out, highlighting systemic corruption.
Bates uses archival research and contemporary reporting to chart the scandal's consequences, including the introduction of laws to curb the sale of honours and Gregory's eventual prosecution.
The narrative situates the affair within the broader political and social context of the period, examining motivations of buyers and the complicity of elites.
It serves as both a historical exposé and a cautionary tale about how patronage and graft can undermine democratic institutions.
The book reconstructs how Gregory manipulated political patronage and extended his schemes to sell papal knighthoods when British honours ran out, highlighting systemic corruption.
Bates uses archival research and contemporary reporting to chart the scandal's consequences, including the introduction of laws to curb the sale of honours and Gregory's eventual prosecution.
The narrative situates the affair within the broader political and social context of the period, examining motivations of buyers and the complicity of elites.
It serves as both a historical exposé and a cautionary tale about how patronage and graft can undermine democratic institutions.
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Mentioned in 1 episodes
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