Disraeli

by Sarah Bradford

Sarah Bradford s stylish and readable biography traces the flamboyant career of Benjamin Disraeli. She follows Disraeli s progress from Byronic dandy to confidante of Queen Victoria, describing en route how bouts of fierce parliamentary fighting and intrigue alternated with periods of intense creativity which produced Vivian Grey, Coningsby, Sybil and the worlds best- seller Lothair. Using previously unknown letters and papers, she throws new light upon Disraeli s relationships with the women in his life. She also brings to life the parliamentary debates through which Disraeli destroyed Peel as leader of the Conservative Party, split the Conservatives, duelled with Gladstone and achieved power as one of England s greatest prime ministers.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, British Literature

448 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1982

About the author

Educated at St. Mary’s Convent, Shaftesbury Dorset, where she won a State Scholarship and at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she won a College Scholarship in History, Sarah Bradford is an historian and biographer who has travelled extensively, living in the West Indies, Portugal and Italy. She speaks four languages which have been invaluable in her research for her various books, particularly The Englishman’s Wine, the Story of Port (the first book on the subject written by a woman), Portugal and Madeira. She worked in the Manuscript Department of Christie’s London, travelling for the Department and valuing manuscripts from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries, an experience which enabled her to write Cesare Borgia (used by the BBC as the source of their series ‘The Borgias’, for which she wrote the novelisation of the scripts) and, most recently, Lucrezia Borgia

Reviews

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was hard stuff. Bradford does just not deliver. Boring.
Well, he said of his wife, that she would never know who came first the Greeks or the Romans. And he had never read Dickens. Disliked Eliot. Was disliked by Carlyle etc. But he did like Balzac. Apparently there is a letter that suggests that he might have been unfaithful to his wife, Mary Anne. Once.

[Ashley Hobgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book out of curiosity. I enjoyed reading this book because I learned more about Benjamin Disraeli's childhood, his family, his education, his romance and marriage to Mary Anne Evans, and his careers in writing and politics. I loved that it was very informative. I thought the book was well written. It is a must read.

[Sean Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used the Open Library on the Internet to borrow this book and I found it a very enjoyable read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard the names Disraeli, Gladstone, Peel, etc. most of my life, but they were always in a foggy part of history. When I read Bradford's biography of King George VI, I knew I wanted to read all her other biographies. One of them is this one on Disraeli.

Disraeli was a social climber. Born Jewish, his father had all his children convert so that they would have social opportunities unavailable to Jews in 19th century England. This allowed "Dizzy" to plan for a place in the upper crust of British s ociety and also a seat in the Parliament - Jews were not allowed to be members of Parliament. While he took extreme advantage of his Christianity, he never forgot his Jewish background and for years, tried to convince the British of the importance of the Jewish heritage.

While he had extremely well-developed political senses, he was a rather bad reader of social situations in his early days. After nearly bankrupting his early publisher in an investment deal(Disraeli was an author before he became a politician), Disraeli had the nerve to ask him for a rather big loan. Other examples abound.

He made shameful use of people to achieve his social goals. Eventually he made it into the upper class, a landed gentleman, friend of Queen Victoria (she allowed him to address his letters to her in first person), member of the Garter, etc., etc. He was extremely successful in life and he owed it to his ability to manipulate people.

What was interesting to me was that while we hear a great deal about him as Prime Minister (twice), he only held that office for a total of three years - the first time for only a year. With all the hype about him, I'd always thought he had served as long as FDR!

Bradford is skilled at showing her subjects as whole people and she is true to form with Disraeli. He had stunningly positive qualities mixed with a tin ear in other qualities. He sided with the landed gentry of the British social classes and was determined to keep England the same - no reforms. He was a marvelous statesman, making Britain the actual victor in the Berlin conference to end the Russian-Turkish war. He made loyal friends and loyal enemies, some people both.

Benjamin Disraeli is a fascinating person, beautifully portrayed by Sarah Bradford. Anyone who wants to know about Disraeli should start with this book.

[Julie P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biographie très intéressante et détaillée de la vie personnelle et surtout politique de B. D'Israelï.
Rien, sauf la passion de son ambition ou l'ambition de sa passion - en fait le "pouvoir" - n'aura pu l'amener si haut dans les rangs politiques et si loin dans la sphère de la haute politique internationale. Adoré par la reine Victoria, hôte priviligié des Rothchilds (sic), il aura vaincu par sa perspicacité, persévérence et surtout sa parole. Mais il aura été battu par des éléments difficiles de contrer: la "middle class", la mauvaise température (!) et la maladie...
Une autre preuve, s'il en faut encore une, que la politique n'est qu'affaire de pouvoir... Vivement les élections fédérales ;-)

[Tamara]

Author- Sarah Bradford