ABSTRACT
Without question, the biggest break in William Blackwood’s career came in 1811, when John Murray, the powerful London publisher, asked the fledgling Scottish bookseller to be his Edinburgh agent. Being allied with Murray instantly transformed Blackwood from a bit player into one of the leading men on the Edinburgh publishing scene. During the ensuing decade, Murray’s stature would only grow, as his Quarterly Review soon surpassed the Edinburgh Review as the nation’s most widely read literary journal and he had the good fortune to add Lord Byron to his stable of prominent authors. Although Blackwood frequently simmered over Murray’s patronizing airs, the partnership was too profitable to risk losing.
