'[Davies said] "Before I was twelve I had developed an appreciation of good prose, and the Bible created in me a zest for literature", propelling him directly to Lamb, Hazlitt's Essays and Ruskin's The Crown of Wild Olives. Later... he joined the library committee of the Miners' Institute in Maesteg, made friends with the librarian, and advised him on acquisitions. Thus he could read all the books he wanted: Marx, Smith, Ricardo, Mill, Marshall, economic and trade union history, Fabian Essays, Thomas Hardy, Meredith, Kipling and Dickens'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: D.R. Davies Print: Book
'After a miserable Catholic school education...periodic unemployment allowed [Joseph Toole] to study in the Manchester Reference Library. There he discovered, Adam Smith, Ricardo, Herbert Spencer, Huxley, Mill, Emerson, Dickens, Morris, Blatchford, Shaw and Wells, and of course John Ruskin..."Study always left me with a deep feeling that there was so much amiss with the world. It seemed that it had been started at the wrong end, and that it was everybody's business to put the matter right".'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Toole Print: Book
'From the year 1812 up to the year 1815, the young banker's life revolved in a sufficiently prosaic circle; working steadily at the banking-house, partaking sparingly of amusements of a social character, and devoting the greater portion of his leisure to reading and meditating upon subjects of an instructive cast.
'Among these, political economy, history and metaphysics occupied the leading interest in his mind. To the first of these sciences he had been attracted by the writings of Mr. David Ricardo, with whom personally he afterwards became acquainted (in 1817)'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote Print: Book
From the diary kept by George Grote for his fiancee, Harriet Lewin (autumn 1818):
'Dined at 1/2 past 5; [Charles] Cameron with me [...] Between 7 and 8 I locked up [family banking house] and we drank tea. We then read some of Ricardo's "Political Economy" until 1/2 past 10'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote and Charles Cameron Print: Book
From the diary kept by George Grote for his fiancee, Harriet Lewin (autumn 1818):
'Dined at 1/2 past 5; [Charles] Cameron with me [...] Between 7 and 8 I locked up [family banking house] and we drank tea. We then read some of Ricardo's "Political Economy" until 1/2 past 10.
'Rose at 6. Read some of A. Smith on Wages, and also that part of Ricardo that we had read the night before over again'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote Print: Book
From the diary kept by George Grote for his fiancee, Harriet Lewin (1819):
'January, 1819.
'Saturday -- Rose at 1/4 before 9. Breakfasted and worked at Ricardo until I was obliged to go into the office [...] Between 4 and 5 read some more of Ricardo, out of different parts of the book, to clear up my notions on Foreign Trade'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote Print: Book
From the diary kept by George Grote for his fiancee, Harriet Lewin (1819):
'January, 1819.
'Sunday -- Rose about 9. After reading Ricardo for some little time, I set to and wrote down some stuff upon Foreign Trade [...] At 1 I mounted my horse and rode to the Park [...] Returned to dinner at 6, very tired; read some of Lessing's "Laocoon" [...] After tea set to at Ricardo again, but not finding my attention sufficiently alive, I dropt him, and looked over Melon's "Essai sur le Commerce," which I had had some curiosity to see. I found it the stupidest and most useless volume I ever opened.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote Print: Book
From George Grote's diary, kept for his fiancee Harriet Lewin (January 1819):
'Rose at 9 [...] Mr. Bury brought me Ricardo's pamphlets this day. Between 4 and 5 I set to and read his Pamphlet on the depreciation of our paper currency. Dined at 1/2 past 5; played on the bass; read some more of Ricardo -- his reply to Mr. Bosanquet, which is most able [...] spent the evening in going on with my "thoughts," looking at some parts of Xenophon and Arsitotle.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote
From George Grote's diary, kept for his fiancee Harriet Lewin (1819):
'Mr Bury brought me Ricardo's pamphlets this day. Between 4 and 5 I set to and read his
Pamphlet on the depreciation of our paper currency. Dined at 1/2 past 5; played on the bass;
read some more Ricardo -- his reply to Mr. Bosanquet, which is most able [...] spent the
evening in going on with my "thoughts,' looking at some parts of Xenophon and Aristotle.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote
From George Grote's diary, kept for his fiancee Harriet Lewin (1819):
'Mr Bury brought me Ricardo's pamphlets this day. Between 4 and 5 I set to and read his
Pamphlet on the depreciation of our paper currency. Dined at 1/2 past 5; played on the bass;
read some more Ricardo -- his reply to Mr. Bosanquet, which is most able [...] spent the
evening in going on with my "thoughts,' looking at some parts of Xenophon and Aristotle.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote
From George Grote's diary, kept for his fiancee Harriet Lewin, Saturday 27 March 1819:
'George Norman appeared [...] Had some very interesting conversation about Ireland. After his
departure I read a chapter in Ricardo's "Pol. Econ."'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: George Grote Print: Book
