Hooligan Nights

Being the Life and Opinions of a Young and Impertinent Criminal Recounted by Himself and Set Forth by Clarence RookClarence Henry Rook was born in 1862 or 1863 in Faversham, Kent, the only son of Henry John Rook, a Bookseller and Post Master. The family lived above the shop at 2 Market Place. Employing two servants t o look after heir needs suggests the family was quite successful. In 1881 matriculated at Oriel college Oxford and graduated in 1886. Between these years he spent some time in Leipzig and Bonn which accounts for his length of stat at Universcity.After graguating he obtained employment in Bristol working as an army and civil service examination tutor.In September 1893 he married Clara Wright, the daughter of an artistic decorator. By now he had entered the world of Journalism and worked at the Globe and later with fellow Cockney Novelist Henry W. Nevinson at the Daily Chronicle where he began 'Office Window' column. By all accounts Rook was a prolific and successful journalist. As well as writing for the Globe and the Chronicle he published in The Illustrated London News, The Idler, The Ludgate, The Art Journal as well as various American publications. The Hooligan Nights is represented as being factually based and whilst there are undercurrents of truth it seems rather more to be a work of elaborate fiction. Intrigingly Rook also found time to write a book on Switzerland.Rook died in 1915 and in modern times is virtually unknown.