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Lord Hailsham
Lord Hailsham
Oct 8, 2024 11:18 PM

Author:Geoffrey Lewis

Lord Hailsham

This is the authorized life of one of the most powerful and controversial Tory politicians of the post-war era. Lord Hailsham - statesman, orator, writer, Christian and patriot - had earned Mrs Thatcher's tribute, when he finally retired in 1987, that there were few people in public life who had provided such service to his country over a span of forty years.

As Quintin Hogg, Hailsham started his public career in the famous Oxford by-election of 1938. He joined the government just before the Suez crisis in 1956 and remained a strong presence in every Tory goverment until his retirement, holding a varitety of important posts, including Party Chairman when he famously rang the bell to toll the death of the Labour Party. The extraordinary drama of the 1963 succession to Macmillan is comprehensively revealed in this book, as is Hailsham`s highly influential career in the law, where he was Lord Chancellor for twelve years after 1970.

Reviews

A splendid biography: fair, amusing and, at times, moving. I cannot see it being bettered

—— Julian Critchley , Sunday Times

An important and judicious book... a wise and scholarly work... The balance of action, belief and personal life is well maintained

—— David Gilmour , Independent on Sunday

Lewis makes the best possible case for Hailsham, all the more convincing because he sets his subject's virtues in the greater context of his undeniable flaws... I shall look at him with far greater knowledge and no little admiration

—— Gerald Kaufman , Sunday Telegraph

A fascinating, well-written and brilliantly researched account…. The book is a great achievement.

—— Piers Brendon

Excellent new biography.

—— Richard Astor , Observer

Admiring yet fair biography… Gripping.

—— Nicholas Shakespeare , Daily Telegraph

A lively, gossipy and affectionate biography.

—— The Economist

Astor at last gets the posthumous recognition he deserves.

—— Oldie

Jeremy Lewis brilliantly analyses the extraordinary family background and Astor’s won personality and manner.

—— Peter Wilby , New Statesman

He [Lewis] masters several complex strands of material, writing confidently and entertainingly, while leaving Astor’s halo justifiably intact.

—— Andrew Lycett , Spectator

Beautifully written… Lewis brilliantly evokes the golden age of a long-vanished Fleet Street.

—— Rebecca Wallersteiner , Lady

Marvellous biography… Lewis Portrays Astor as a gifted amateur… This meticulously researched book takes us back to a lost age.

—— Stephen Glover , Oldie

Lewis is an indefatigable, sharp-eyed researcher… With the publication of this book, David Astor the Editor is well celebrated. As a biographer, Jeremy Lewis is informative, entertaining and fair-minded.

—— Anne Chisholm , Times Literary Supplement

Perceptive and absorbing biography.

—— Ian Jack , London Review of Books

[A] vivid, insightful and sometimes very funny biography… Essential reading, not just for present and aspiring editors, but for anybody who cares about newspapers.

—— Peter Wilby , New Statesman

Shot through with a magnificent sly humour.

—— Roger Lewis , The Times

[It] is well researched and an absorbing read.

—— Guardian, Book of the Year

The biggest disaster for any of the BBC’s news and current affairs slate would be The Yanis Varoufakis Show on another network

—— Mark Lawson , Guardian

While this British Conservative minister might not agree with every single position adopted by this Greek radical socialist, I cannot but admire and applaud his courage and passion on behalf of genuinely progressive causes

—— Michael Gove , Sunday Times

The reason Varoufakis seems to have captured the imaginations of so many is that his words about the European crisis speak universal truths about democracy, capitalism and social policy

—— Guardian

Like all great story tellers, Varoufakis’ literary flair is not just a function of stylistic prowess. He gets right inside the fears, desires and external constraints of the key players in the complex history of the Eurozone … Reading And The Weak Suffer What They Must? is like reading a gripping thriller. It is a page turner because the plot itself is a relentless sequence of astonishing twists and turns driven by the cunning ingenuity and hubristic folly of its key protagonists … This book is not just illuminating. It is a call to moral awakening and to intelligent, determined and humane political action

—— Open Democracy

Beautifully illustrated… [It] overflows with entertaining detail.

—— Robbie Millen , The Times

Tinniswood uses lively local detail.

—— Lindsay Duguid , Times Literary Supplement

[It] combines a panoramic view of life and architecture in the interwar years with pin-sharp detail and the sort of springy prose that comes with complete command of the material.

—— London Review of Books

This is a lively and hugely entertaining history… It’s packed with very funny anecdotes… A delight.

—— Mail on Sunday

Tinniswood paints a vivid portrait of the period

—— Jonathan Wright , Catholic Herald

A detailed and appreciated look at the phenomenon [of country houses]… Tinniswood writes elegantly, in complete charge of his material. The book is a joy to hold in your hand.

—— Spears Wealth Management Survey

Wittily written and beautifully illustrated, Tinniswood’s book recreates a world far more peculiar, but at times rather more enviable, than any fictional version.

—— David Horspool , Guardian, Book of the Year

[A] compelling volume of social history.

—— Daily Mail, Book of the Year

[A] brilliant book about life in the English country house.

—— Rachel Cooke , Guardian, Book of the Year

A scandal-packed glimpse into the glamourous Downton Abbey-esque world of English country houses… ****

—— Love it!

A probing psychological account.

—— Very Rev. Professor Iain Torrence , Herald Scotland
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