Gladstone
The life and legacy of a British political giant
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:4th Oct '18
Should be back in stock very soon
This biography explores the complex life and legacy of William Ewart Gladstone, a significant figure in British history and politics.
In Gladstone, Roy Jenkins presents a comprehensive biography of William Ewart Gladstone, one of the most significant figures of the nineteenth century. Spending sixty-three of his eighty-nine years in the House of Commons, Gladstone served as prime minister four times, a remarkable achievement that highlights his political prowess. His influence extended to the formation of the Liberal Party and his passionate advocacy for Irish Home Rule, marking him as a commanding presence in British politics. Yet, there was much more to Gladstone than just his political career.
Beyond his political endeavors, Gladstone was a classical scholar and a prolific writer, deeply engaged in the theological debates of his time. His love for literature and knowledge was matched only by his dedication to physical activity, as he often took to walking and even engaged in tree chopping for leisure. However, his personal life was marked by a complex relationship with guilt and self-criticism, as he grappled with feelings of sinfulness and sought to engage with those he deemed lost, such as prostitutes, in an effort to guide them toward redemption.
Gladstone not only delves into the life of a remarkable politician but also offers readers a vivid portrayal of a tumultuous era in British history. Jenkins' work stands as a testament to the art of biography, providing depth and insight into a man whose legacy continues to resonate today.
A splendid biography, which deals justly and fairly with all the controversies of Gladstone’s life … It is a notable achievement and will not be easily superseded. * The Times *
Roy Jenkins has written many good books. This is his best. It is beyond praise. -- Vernon Bogdanor * Evening Standard *
Inspired by affection for his tremendous subject, the author has scaled the heights with panache … [Jenkins’s] evident delight in the man and his story carry the reader along as though on the crest of a wave. -- Claire Tomalin * Independent on Sunday *
Jenkins is a master of irony … This helps to make the book enormous fun to read, while it is also enlightening in any number of ways. -- John Grigg * Sunday Telegraph *
Deliciously spiced with mordant wit, Gladstone can be read for sheer pleasure. But it is the wisdom as well as the wit that ensures this biography will live on. * Guardian *
This biography matches one of Gladstone’s own towering performances. * Sunday Times *
The combination of author and subject makes Roy Jenkins’s Gladstone irrestistible … His biography is all you need to know about Gladstone including the things you never dared ask. * Independent *
Roy Jenkins has written the definitive biography of William Ewart Gladstone, the 'Grand Old Man' of Victorian politics. Jenkins is a consummate biographer … Gladstone is his chef-d’oeuvre. * Daily Express *
As befits the heroic grandeur of its subject, this is an admirable proportioned and beautifully written book, by turns enthralling, moving and (sometimes) very funny . . . It is the best single volume biography of a Victorian statesman since Robert Blake's like of Disraeli. What higher praise can there be? -- David Cannadine * Observer *
- Winner of Whitbread Biography Award 1996 (UK)
ISBN: 9781509868292
Dimensions: 198mm x 133mm x 46mm
Weight: 504g
720 pages