There’s an old saying that a man is known by his enemies, which would make William Cobbett one of the most comprehensively known individuals in British history. By the time of his death in 1835, he’d managed to alienate virtually everyone who’d ever tried to help him, befriend him, or work alongside him. His talent

William Cobbett was one of the most influential men of his day, more or less despite of his personality. He is sadly forgotten today – but he is still entertaining.

Advice to Young Men is one of the less well known of Cobbett’s books. It was published in paperback in the eighties when there was a bit of a Cobbett revival, but aside from that it has rarely troubled the shelves of bookshops. It would be a stretch to say it is a forgotten classic,