Charles Mackay
Scottish poet and journalist
Charles Mackay was a Scottish poet and journalist. He is best known for Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds.
1 summary 17 min of listening
British Born 1814 in Perth Died 1889
About Charles Mackay
Charles Mackay (1814-1889) was a Scottish poet, journalist, novelist and songwriter, born in Perth. He started out as a journalist in London, and later became editor of the Glasgow Argus and then of the Illustrated London News. His best-known book is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds, which appeared in 1841. Alongside it he published verse such as Songs and Poems, as well as a romance called Longbeard and works on language, including a Dictionary of Lowland Scotch. Glasgow University awarded him a doctorate, and he was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. His daughter was the novelist Marie Corelli.