| Disraeli: A Biography
(1993)
|
| Front Cover |
Book Details |
|
| Genre |
Non-Fiction; Biography |
| Subject |
Disraeli, Benjamin, 1804-1881; Prime ministers - Great Britain - Biography; Great Britain - Politics And Government - 1837-1901 |
| Publication Date |
10/1/1993 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.2
x
6.5
mm)
|
| Publisher |
Dutton Adult |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover; Remainder |
|
| Description |
| Offering new perspectives on the Victorian era's political and literary giant, this portrait chronicles Disraeli's brilliant and varied career, set against the backdrop of the British Empire at its height. 20,000 first printing. BOMC. History Bk Club. |
| Personal Details |
| Store |
2nd & Charles |
| Purchase Price |
$3.50 |
| Acquire Date |
12/7/2019 |
| Condition |
Very Good/Very Good |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
|
|
| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
DA564.B3 .W45 1993 |
| Dewey |
941.08 |
| ISBN |
9780525936688 |
| Cover Price |
$30.00 |
| No. of Pages |
736 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
I've been systematically reading biographies of US presidents and taking a much less organized approach to both Russian leaders and British Prime Ministers (I'm not at all interested in British royalty).
Up to now, I've only read about British leaders of the 20th century. After reading this one, I think I'll stick to the 20th century. Gladstone was on the list, but nothing I read in this Disreali book makes me want to read about Gladstone. I don't know that it's the fault of the author, though. I'm not well versed in British history before WWI, and the farther back I go, the less it makes sense to me. And, for better or worse, few biographers do a great job of telling the history that their subjects inhabit.
I enjoyed the early chapters and the late chapters, but struggled through the middle. At times I felt like I was reading Russian fiction: there is a great list of characters, and I had trouble with the names. Sure, English names are easier to pronounce than Russian ones, but running across something like "Henry Albert Lewis Kent-Lightfoot, Earl of Swithwick" who also appears in one of Disraeli's novels as "Lord Cranwick, formerly Stanley Ramsey Habersham" got my head spinning. I made these names up, but this, and worse, is what the reader faces.
I'm almost tempted to read one of Disraeli's later books. Often I read non-fiction and come away with the thought that "you can't make this stuff up." There's really nothing that extreme in Disraeli's story, and from the descriptions of his book, he can (and did) make up stuff like this.
Disraeli starts off getting himself deeply in debt, travels extensively, chases women, resorts to getting elected to Parliament in order to keep out of debtors prison, marries for money rather than love, becomes a successful novelist, becomes prime minister and friend to the Queen. An interesting life, no doubt. Pity I found the politics in the middle of the book less than gripping.
Includes an index and quite a few drawings and pictures, but no notes or bibliography (just a brief paragraph or two describing the sources for each chapter). |
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