author
James Cotter Morison
1832–1888
A thoughtful Victorian essayist and historian, he wrote with a strong interest in ideas, character, and the shape of modern society. His books range from studies of Edward Gibbon and Saint Bernard to wider reflections on religion, culture, and public life.
1 Audiobook
Gibbon
by James Cotter Morison
About the author
Born in London on April 20, 1832, James Augustus Cotter Morison was an English essayist and historian who is often listed simply as James Cotter Morison. After his father died, he spent much of his youth in Paris, which gave him a lasting command of French and a sympathy for French thought and literature.
He studied at Oxford, but his time there was interrupted by religious doubt, and he later moved away from orthodox belief. That questioning spirit shaped much of his writing. He became known for works such as The Life and Times of Saint Bernard, Gibbon, and The Service of Man, along with essays that explored politics, belief, and the intellectual life of his century.
Morison never became a mass-market literary figure, but he earned respect as a serious man of letters with broad learning and an independent mind. He died on February 26, 1888, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the restless, searching debates of Victorian Britain.