Disraeli: or, The Two Lives

by Douglas Hurd, Edward Young

Benjamin Disraeli was the most gifted parliamentarian of the nineteenth century and a superb orator, writer and wit - but how much do we really know about the man behind the words?'As Douglas Hurd and Edward Young point out in their splendidly written, finely judged and thoroughly persuasive book, a vast chasm yawned between the real Disraeli and his posthumous reinvention' Dominic Sandbrook, SUNDAY TIMES'Not only, they tell us in this vigorously debunking romp through his political life, did he never use the phrases "One Nation" or "Tory Democracy", he was actively hostile to the concepts that they are now understood to represent' Sam Leith, THE SPECTATOR'The book is more a study in character . . . than a staid political narrative. As a result, Or the Two Lives is full of unexpected jolts and paradoxes . . . It proves an unflagging pleasure to read' Richard Davenport-Hines, GUARDIAN'So intoxicating that you will find yourself snorting it up in one go, as I did, with great pleasure' Boris Johnson, MAIL ON SUNDAY

Genres: Biography, History, Politics, Nonfiction

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2013

About the author

Douglas Hurd, Baron (born 1930), is an English Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995.

Born in Marlborough, Wiltshire, Hurd first entered parliament in February 1974, as MP for the Mid Oxfordshire constituency. His first government post was as Minister for Europe, and he served in several cabinet posts from 1984 onwards, including Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1984-85), Home Secretary (1985-89) and Foreign Secretary (1989-95). He stood unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party leadership in 1990 and retired from frontline politics during a cabinet re-shuffle in 1995.

In 1997, Hurd entered the House of Lords. Viewed as one of the Conservative Party's senior elder statesmen, he is a patron of the Tory Reform Group, and remains an active figure in public life. Hurd is a writer of political thrillers including The Image in the Water, and a collection of short stories in Ten Minutes to Turn the Devil.

Reviews

[Jayson]

(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Depicts Disraeli as a mythic trickster: a boundary-crossing mischief-maker, who by wit and cunning reshapes nature.

[Andrew Robins]

My interest in politics is mainly rooted in the twentieth century, hence my reading this to improve my knowledge of Disraeli and the period in which he operated.

Looking at the names of the authors you might expect a hagiography, but that is not at all the case. The authors present a study of Disraeli which is balanced and fair, but draws conclusions which are less than flattering.

What they effectively say is that Disraeli was in many ways one of, if not the first of the career politicians who don't really seem to believe in very much at all, but focus on their image as a tool to advance their career aims.

British politics today is almost entirely populated by people in this mould, and it is this which makes Disraeli so relevant.

He dabbled disastrously in investing, never had a job outside politics, and was the consummate personality politician, schmoozing all and sundry, including Queen Victoria, yet nobody ever knew what he really stood for.

That sounds very familiar to anyone with a passing interest in British politics today.

Queen Victoria said "After a dinner spent sat next to Mr Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in the country. After a dinner sat next to Mr Disraeli, I felt like the cleverest woman in the country".

That probably says it all.

[Michael]

A well written character assassination that portrays Disraeli as a vain misanthrope and dilettante. It could only come from a cultural imagination in which everyman has and should be dispatched to his proper place in the social order.

[David]

Excellent political biography of one of my favourite political characters. This is no hagiography, Disraeli's flaws are all there alongside his considerable achievements. The central theme is that this man was possibly the first of the career politicians and that many of his greatest achievements resulted as much, if not more, from political expediency than from principled belief. Unlike many Disraeli biographies it doesn't focus almost exclusively on the Disraeli/Gladstone rivalry, but rather what the man achieved and the people and relationships behind his achievements. The book is well written and avoids the unnecessary detail that blights so many political biographies. It is all the better for that.

[Sarthak Bhatt]

A very readable biography that dispels all the myths around Disraeli. A master politician but a mediocre prime minister. 2 chapters were incredible, the first when Disraeli destroyed the sitting PM peele and the second on Disraeli's foreign crisis when he was PM. Overall a good book that never gets boring.

[Zandra]

I wonder why I previously gave this book only three stars? This time around I'd read Disraeli's political novels and so was interested to know how much Disraeli, in his actual political life, upheld the idealism of his novels. So, I think his novels do make an appeal to 'one nation' politics with attempts to help the working classes, even though Douglas Hurd, rather too vigorously, tries to deny that Disraeli believed in 'one nation'. Disraeli may not have believed everyone could just become one nation, but he did believe politics was about the nation, and ameliorating the lot of the poor, and what was in the national interest.

Hurd suggests at various points that Disraeli was only interested in obtaining power, not in exercising power, that he had no concrete, specific ideas on how he wanted to govern, only that he wanted, desperately to be the Prime Minster and yet.....Disraeli seems to have been a man who recognized the pressures posed by the demands of the age, and to do what was practical. The Reform Act, repeal of the the Corn Law, these were Disraeli's response to the pressures of the time and these he approach in a 'conservative' manner, as he persuaded the doubters of the need for reform and progress.

He was a populist in that he made parliament popular. He was such a skillful orator and believed in the power of imagination, as he said: 'Utilitarians in Politics are like the Unitarians in Religion; both omit Imagination in their systems, and Imagination governs Mankind.' as Hurd says: 'In an age of dull, worthy, free-trade economics; in a nation of merchants, manufacturers and industrialists; in a society governed by two parties that seemed to have been around for ever, presided over by a portentous Church of England and a cross-looking Queen, Disraeli sensed that people craved something more inspiring in their politics. To his mind, good government was not about Bills, balance sheets or people's pocket books. It should be a more divine enterprise.' (p54) and 'Time and again Disraeli used his imagination to make politics interesting. His most powerful strength was the creative energy with which he transformed Victorian politics. The public were fascinated by his speeches in the Commons....half a century before mass democracy, Disraeli made Parliament popular. He did this not by dint of legislative achievement but simply by using his imagination to say brilliant, witty and memorable things.' (p263)

The idealism of Disraeli's novels is, I think, a testament to the respect Disraeli held for his father: 'The version of English history produced by Disraeli in the Vindication was quite close to Isaac's own, for example being mildly Cavalier in its account of the seventeenth century. In short, Disraeli had produced a Tory version of recent English history.' (p48) It was an imaginative scheme that resulted from the hours spent reading in his father's library. In the political novels we see that Disraeli understands that poverty is a problem, but, more so, Disraeli is interested in the possibility of social mobility and breaking through into aristocratic grandeur - it is the aristocracy that fires his imagination.

So now I understand Disraeli as being supremely pragmatic and highly imaginative; a rare combination. Hurd's biography is a valuable and succinct treatment of Disraeli's life, but sometimes I felt Hurd was overly critical of the validity of Disraeli's legacy.

[Jonathan]

I've been meaning to read about the prime ministers of the nineteenth century for quite some time. Whilst starting with Benjamin Disraeli was a rather random choice, I'm glad to have made it. Authors Douglas Hurd and Edward Young succeeded in writing a biography both informative and highly readable. (Too often one is sacrificed for the other.) They present the story of a fascinating figure whose many complexities and quirks defy explanation - but also a man who can deservedly be called a great prime minister.
From his intense rivalry with the implacable Gladstone to his charming of Queen Victoria, the nature of Benjamin Disraeli is perhaps best uncovered through the eyes of his contemporaries. The authors are quite perceptive of this, and as a result their biography serves as an intriguing window to some of Victorian Britain's most legendary individuals.
I keenly recommend Disraeli, or The Two Lives to anyone with an interest in parliamentary history, Victorian politics, and - more broadly - the great figures of the modern world.

[Rupert Matthews]

This was a very interesting book. I knew little about Disraeli before I began, and this book really brought him to life. It was long enough to give detail, but not so long as to be bogged down in minutiae - all good stuff. My only quibble would be that it takes it for granted that the reader already knows something about 19th century politics and international affairs, but that is a minor point. A good, interesting and fairly light read. Grand!

[Emilija]

This was a really enjoyable biography of Disraeli. The main theme running through was that Disraeli built up a myth, using his novels, for what the Conservatives should do, which was then translated into a mythic idea after his death. But then again, does Disraeli need to have used the words “Tory Democracy” or “One Nation Conservatism” to have fathered such ideals?

I love the title, Disraeli, or the Two Lives. It felt very appropriate, considering that it’s based on Disraeli’s Sybil, or the Two Nations, and portrayed Hurd and Young’s hypothesis of Disraeli as a trickster, The Christian and the Jew, the dandy and the somber politician.

This didn’t add much to the historiography that is already out there about Disraeli, but it was a well researched, well written biography. I particularly liked the little additions that the authors have used from their own time in politics, ie, did D. Hurd or G. Howe first say that ‘Britain punches above its weight in the world?’

[George]

I found this to be a very enjoyable biography of 19th century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, that attempted to debunk certain myths that continue to surround him today, such as his fatherhood of 'One Nation Conservatism' and 'Tory Democracy'--terms which, as authors Douglas Hurd and Edward Young point out, he never actually used, even though he has been the key figure of inspiration for progressive Conservatism since his premiership.

The focus is on Disraeli as a contradictory character - or having been a man of 'Two Lives', as the title points out - and throughout he is portrayed as juggling statecraft with a literary inclination, as a man of no concrete self-identity, but a strong heart beating for his Queen, country, and those he loved, and a career politician who is out to climb 'the greasy pole' (a term he did use) all the way to the very top, causing all sorts of trouble on the way.

Overall it is a fascinating approach to Disraeli's character, and is highly readable. I was gripped and read all of it through the course of a single day. (I also find it hilarious how Boris Johnson is quoted as having found himself 'snorting it up in one go.')

Anyone with an interest in 19th century Britain, British politics, or the history of the Conservative Party, should definitely look at giving it a read.

[Erez Davidi]

Disraeli was a complex person full of contradictions. Perhaps that's why he makes such an excellent subject for a character study. Disraeli was a master of words and oratory. He has eighty-eight quotations attributed to him in the "Oxford Dictionary of Quotations." A number larger than any other prime minister. He also wrote countless novels, which weren't great literature, according to the authors, but achieved quite a commercial success.

In this biography, what the authors tried to achieve is two-fold: First, to answer how did "a bankrupt Jewish school dropout and trash novelist" come to have such influence and fame that lasts until this very day; the second, to explore and unmask all the myths surrounding Disraeli's life.

"Disraeli: or, The Two Lives" is well written and lucid. However, I would label it more as a character study than a biography. The authors skipped quite substantial parts of Disraeli's life and tended to treat its important events as a tool to analyze his character. Basic questions, such as to why Disraeli didn't have any children, were missing. Maybe this book can be more appreciated as a second read rather than a first.

[Anurag]

It's instructive to understand how perfectly the aberrations of the past can become part of the normal. This is far from a favourable account of Disraeli but it is a well-written biography with extensive research on its subject. What the biography demonstrates beautifully is how uncertain and flaky some of our own political ideas may sound as we set ourselves to observe the ambiguous characters of the past.

[Teddy Dodger]

Good book which counters lazy over-simplifications that Disraeli was a 'One Nation Conservative' (he never used such a phrase) or he would have identified with Social Democrats of the 20th century like MacMillan or Heath or, when this book was written, Ed Miliband.

Also useful in pointing out how Disraeli used his Jewish identity to mark him out as 'different' even if in terms of religion he was a fairly doctrinaire, if not devout, Anglican.

[Ryan Armstrong]

Detailed account, providing different angles to other books that consider Disraeli. Overall, it posits a positive view of his life, although caveated and not as favourable as the mythology that has been created.

[Mike Tuplin]

A fascinating perspective on the personality of a very complex dynamic politician and his relevance to present day
politics and power.

[Jess Cunniffe]

Spoiler: best political biog ive ever read

[Suzanne]

My introduction to Disraeli was via his novel Sybil or The Two Nations, a title echoed here. Sybil is the origin of Disraeli’s famous two nations quote, the subject of polemical criticism in this biography as not being a correct representation of Disraeli’s beliefs. He certainly acknowledged the RICH and the POOR but, as Hurd and Young clarify, did not see them as forming One Nation, rather there existed a complex relationship of duties and obligations underlying their coexistence. As a Jew, although he converted to Anglicanism at a young age which enabled him to stand for parliament, Disraeli always stood somewhat outside the mainstream of society, even though he did eventually obtain the title of Lord Beaconsfield and graduated to the House of Lords. He was also a novelist, publishing before, during and after his time in government and these novels belie how he saw society. This biography is a sparkling account of an unusual politician, ruthless to his opponents yet capable of endearing himself to the Queen and genuinely attached to his wife and, after her death, to other ‘senior’ ladies. The impression received from this account is that he was never boring although sometimes inconsistent. Although Hurd and Young attempt to puncture the myths about Disraeli which followed his death and the advent of the Primrose League, their own account of his two lives reinforce the notion that Disraeli was the sort of politician one would like to encounter.

[Luka De]

If looking for a starting place to learn about Disraeli and politics in Britain at the time, I would recommend this book.

An interesting read. I had not known much about Disraeli and was interested in learning more about him and this era of British Politics. This was available in a local book store-so I decided to pick it up. It presents an interesting image of Disraeli, critical of the mythology built around him, while acknowledging his achievements.

The background, pre-political life, contextualises his political life well. In that sense I thought the book was written well. Though at times I found myself a bit lost - perhaps more due to my ignorance of the period.

I found the critical perspective of Disraeli's time as PM to be quite interesting, in addition to the portrait of Queen Victoria. It highlights, though in a limited manner, the extent of influence the Irish question had on British politics - which is sorely missing from modern British Education.

[James]

Enjoyable, informative and very readable. This was an unremarkable but interesting insight into our of the most influential historical figures in 19th century Britain. Good intro to Disraeli if you don't know much about him.

[Tina Ambury]

Fascinating but a little dry.
Makes me want to read about Gladstone too.

[Kate]

Assumes

[Stephen]

Superbly well written, fast moving and inciteful. Douglas Hurd sotto vocce on what makes a great politician past or present is terrific; applied to Disraeli it brings the man alive.

[Don]

Informative

Detailed and enjoyable if at times a little too much for me. Filled in gaps in my knowledge I didn't know that I had.

[Curmudgeon]

I have to admit, my first thought upon hearing of this book was "does the world really need YET ANOTHER Disraeli biography?", but it's a worthwhile read nonetheless. It doesn't tread an awful lot of new ground, but there are still some fun new bits of research to be gleaned from it, like details from Gladstone's annotations on books in his own library, or assorted cabinet minutes or unexamined bits of correspondence.

The book's primary aim is a careful debunking of the heavy shroud of mythology that hangs about Britain's unlikeliest prime minister, and it certainly has its work cut out for it. The "One Nation" notion that sprung up under Stanley Baldwin, was perpetuated under Harold MacMillan, and resurrected under assorted Labour leaders afterwards(Ed Miliband most recently & aggressively, although Harold Wilson did it too) was of course a vague, romantic reimagining of words Benjamin Disraeli never actually uttered...but then again, what was Disraeli if not a vague, imaginative romantic? My inner sceptic felt that the demolishing of the Dizzy myth by a couple of Tory insiders was carefully calculated to try to undermine the Labour party right as they were wrapping themselves in the One Nation banner, but on the other hand, I get the feeling that most voters probably aren't making their political decisions in 2015 based on the accuracy of phraseology appropriated from dead Victorians.

Hurd & Young do make the claim that despite generally being a less-than-effective prime minister with an often outrageous lack of principles (& the principles that he did more frequently espouse, i.e. the usefulness of empire-building or the racial superiority of Jews, are outdated and ridiculous), the main virtue he brought to the political table was that of imagination. I am reminded of Michael Foot's book review of Robert Blake's Dizzy bio (which is still considered the definitive one, alongside Moneypenny & Buckle) in which Foot criticised Blake's claims that his subject was severely lacking in imagination. Of course Foot had his own unrealistic interpretation of the prime minister in mind, and the eternal problem with Disraeli is that he is such a slippery, elusive character; by his very nature, he seems to invite others to pin their own values onto him and hold him up as a more noble creature than he really was. You could almost write an entire separate book on that aspect of his legacy alone.

All in all, it's a breezy read, not too revolutionary, but still informative and thought-provoking. I didn't quite "snort it up in one go" as Boris Johnson did, but it did make a fun travelling companion as I boarded a flight from London to Toronto, where I read about 2/3 of it in one sitting. I did laugh out loud a couple times while reading it, which isn't always a claim one can make about political books. But then again, if writers/politicians always seem to wind up projecting their own views onto Disraeli, perhaps it's only fitting that his wry, epigrammatic sarcasm finds its way into the pens of his biographers, critics, and admirers.

[Gareth Evans]

I have to confess that my knowledge of mid-nineteenth century British politics is rather weak and so I am perhaps not the most clued up reviewer. Thanks to this book I do now know the difference betweeen the 14th and 15th Earl of Derby (one three times a prime minister who never won an election, the other a foreign secretary who crossed the floor). The book provides a very straightfoward, readable and interesting biography of perhaps the most famous (certainly recognisable - could you tell you Gladstone from your Peel?) 19th century statesmen. It presents Disraeli's often confused legacy - one nation Tory? Not according to Hurd and Young - Including the Primrose League which had 2 million members in late Edwardian England and now is recalled only by some badges and medals in Manchester's People's History Museum. A good, relatively quick read with few, if any, dull moments.

[Nick]

A solid biography, not sure it added much, but useful if you want a (fairly) readable introduction into the enigma that was Disraeli. 'Fairly' readable as it's quite dry at times, drifting into a chronological narrative that takes some slogging through. A little more on the 'whys and wherefores', even if it was a personal view (you can usually see the join between the two authors), would have given it a bit more edge.

[Jane Griffiths]

I read this because I don't know that much about 19th century British politics, beyond the myths that is. This was workmanlike, but didn't really add that much. It seeks to debunk he myth hat Disraeli was the father of One Nation Conservatism, when in fact he wasn't and never used the term. He coined the phrase "climbing the greasy pole", and many others, which I didn't know. Worthwhile, but...

[Charlie Richmond]

Basically enjoyable except that Hurd and Young injected way too many comparisons and references to the current Conservative government which served as being apologists for both Disraeli and Cameron's behaviours - of course this is probably understandable considering Hurd's political past....

[Sarah Mackey]

Enjoyed it very much-an easy read s out a difficult and complex subject.

[Adrian Matthews]

Interesting however I felt it never really got to the heart of the man.