Author:Richard Aldous
‘Engaging and highly entertaining’ Sunday Times
The dramatic confrontation between the two 'mighty opposites' of the Victorian age, brilliantly recreated by a talented young historian.
Gladstone and Disraeli were the fiercest political rivals of the modern age. Their intense hatred was ideological and deeply personal. Victorian Britain ruled the oceans and vast territories 'on which the sun never set'. The vitriolic duel between Gladstone and Disraeli was nothing less than a battle to lead the richest and most powerful nation on earth.
To Disraeli, his antagonist was an 'unprincipled maniac' characterised by an 'extraordinary mixture of envy, vindictiveness, hypocrisy and superstition'. For Gladstone, his rival was 'The Grand Corrupter' whose destruction he plotted 'day and night, week by week, month by month'. Victorians were electrified by the confrontation. No wonder that when Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass appeared in 1871, so many readers recognised the great adversaries as the warring lion and unicorn 'fighting for the crown'.
Richard Aldous gives us the first modern telling of this dramatic story of an intense and momentous rivalry. His vivid narrative style - at turns powerful, witty, stirring and theatrical - breathes new life into a familiar, half-remembered tale that is pivotal in Britain's island history. The Lion and the Unicorn is a brilliant rethinking of the Gladstone and Disraeli story for a new generation.
Richard Aldous confirms a perennial truth: in politics, everything is personal.
A first-class historical drama, expertly told.
—— Literary ReviewEngaging and highly entertaining.
—— Sunday TimesA hugely enjoyable joint biography.
—— IndependentAldous does a splendid job of gleaning the ears of corn from earlier studies.
—— Daily TelegraphA romp... a startling reworking of traditional views... Aldous has written an entertaining and thought-provoking book that reads like a novel.
—— SpectatorA detailed, entertaining account... Aldous has set this drama with just the kind of care and skill these two extraordinary adversaries, authors and politicians undoubtedly deserve.
—— Irish TimesGood, informal knockabout fun.
—— Daily Telegraph, Books of the YearA triumph.
—— Sunday IndependentTremendously readable.
—— BBC History MagazineWise has brilliantly reconstructed the social histories of the period...The Italian Boy is a lip-smacking, gruesome joy from beginning to end
—— Roger Clarke , IndependentWise has brilliantly combined a scalp-tingler with a scholarly account...It is exceptionally well organised, rich in data and hard to put down
—— Edward Pearce , Glasgow HeraldAnyone intrigued by this tumultuous city will devour London Under in a few transporting hours... packed with revelations... Ackroyd's stylistic brilliance explains why the book remains a rattling good read
—— Christopher Hirst , IndependentFascinating study of everything under London, from rats and eels to monsters and ghosts.
—— Lady (Five-star review)As London's anatomist-in-chief, Peter Ackroyd turns his focus on what lies beneath the capital's surface. Peppered with erudite and literary references, Ackroyd's fluent style makes for entertaining reading
—— James Urquhart , Financial TimesPacked with anecdotes and fascinating trivia...Ackroyd never misses an opportunity to link this hidden realm with the underworlds of mythology
—— Leon Burakowski , Halesowen ChronicleReveals the London beneath your feet in all its fascinating – and sometimes horrifying – glory. Historian and novelist Ackroyd invests his tales of buried rivers and catacombs with enormous energy
—— ELLE Decoration
zpostcode
Recruit
weather
mreligion
Yellowpages
sport
constellation
shopping
name
game
directory
literature
Word
tour
furnish
Lottery
tftnews
lyrics
News
digital
car
dir
Edu
Finance
