Gladstone: A Biography (Penguin Classic Biography)
For Gladstone - go for this one - Published in 1954, this biography comes roughly half way between Gladstone’s death and the 1995 one volume biography by Roy Jenkins. What a fantastic and inspiring man Gladstone was. And what better introduction to the 19th century and the Victorian era than a biography of the Grand Old Man whose 89 years include 4 spells as Prime Minister (including one which began at the age of 82!) and interaction with most of the leading western statesman of the century including one of the few people who outlived him, Victoria herself.To the dilemma of constructing a faithful yet interesting and readable biography Magnus provides a sensible blend of chronological narrative, discussion of issues and judgmental comment. The prose is eminently readable, condensing the mass of research material sensibly. The reader gains a satisfying summary of some of the great controversies along with a helpful sprinkling of atmospheric facts and detailed information. 1909, the opening page informs us, was the birth year of Lincoln, Darwin and Tennyson, in the first of many such helpful ambient references which help to set the material in it’s context. The last premiership seems a bit rushed and occasionally the judgments seem a bit too opinionated and one ends with the feeling that there were aspects of Gladstone which Magnus did not fully understand. The attempt in the last few pages to weigh the legacy of Gladstone, if short is very helpful.With excellent pace and prose Magnus has provided an excellent and readable biography which, when compared with Jenkins’ more recent, rather longer and somewhat inferior work, serves to prove that the long passage of time does not always allow for a more mature assessment of history.