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Max Beaverbrook: Not Quite a Gentleman
Financial magician, flamboyant politician, minister in both world wars, press baron, serial philanderer, Winston Churchill's boon companion in the dark days of 1940-41 and in his later years, Max Beaverbrook was without a doubt one of the most colourful characters of the first half of the twentieth century. Born and brought up in the Scottish Presbyterian fastness of northeast Canada, he escaped to make his fortune in Canadian financial markets.
By 1910, when he migrated to Britain at the age of thirty-one, he was already a multimillionaire. With a seat in the House of Commons and then a peerage, he came to know all the senior figures in both British and Canadian politics. In acquiring the Daily Express, he not only built it into a news empire but used its considerable influence to campaign for his own pet causes.
As Charles Williams's sweeping biography shows, Beaverbrook was loved and loathed in equal measure. Nevertheless, Williams brings to life a rounded character, with all its flaws and virtues. Above all, it is a story of eighty years of entrepreneurism, political dogfights, wars, sex and grand living, all set in the rich tapestry of the dramatic years of the twentieth century.
By 1910, when he migrated to Britain at the age of thirty-one, he was already a multimillionaire. With a seat in the House of Commons and then a peerage, he came to know all the senior figures in both British and Canadian politics. In acquiring the Daily Express, he not only built it into a news empire but used its considerable influence to campaign for his own pet causes.
As Charles Williams's sweeping biography shows, Beaverbrook was loved and loathed in equal measure. Nevertheless, Williams brings to life a rounded character, with all its flaws and virtues. Above all, it is a story of eighty years of entrepreneurism, political dogfights, wars, sex and grand living, all set in the rich tapestry of the dramatic years of the twentieth century.
759 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2019
8 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Charles Williams
7 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Charles Williams
Charles Cuthbert Powell Williams, Baron Williams of Elvel CBE was a manager and Labour peer. In his 20s he played first-class cricket while at university and for several seasons afterwards.
The son of N. P. Williams and Muriel de Lérisson Cazenove, he was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in literae humaniores in 1955 and a Master of Arts. Williams was further educated at the London School of Economics, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1964. Between 1955 and 1957, he served as Subaltern in the Headquarter of the King's Royal Rifle Corps in Winchester and in the 1st Battalion in Derna in Libya.
Please see: Charles Williams
Charles Cuthbert Powell Williams, Baron Williams of Elvel CBE was a manager and Labour peer. In his 20s he played first-class cricket while at university and for several seasons afterwards.
The son of N. P. Williams and Muriel de Lérisson Cazenove, he was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in literae humaniores in 1955 and a Master of Arts. Williams was further educated at the London School of Economics, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1964. Between 1955 and 1957, he served as Subaltern in the Headquarter of the King's Royal Rifle Corps in Winchester and in the 1st Battalion in Derna in Libya.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 30, 2020
Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook) is a fascinating character, and his connections to British politics and events up to his sunset years in the 50s is worthy of attendtion. Links to WWI - and the start of his lifelong friendship with Churchill - Government and Asquith, Lloyd George, Bonar-Law; the Versailles Treaty, Irish Home Rule, the General Strike; his ownership of newspapers; the Abdication of Edward VIII, his role as minister of aircraft production during the Battle of Britain, missions to Russia and his friendship with FDR all make Beaverbrook and this book worth reading.
Charles Williams has treated his subject with due respect, but without genuflection and so we see the good, bad and indeed brilliant and awful aspects of Beaverbrook's character and behaviour.
Born in Canada to a Scottish born father, a Presbyterian minister and a Candian mother, he started business life selling Life Insurance before moving into finance and ultimately making his fortune.
Moving between Canada and Britain he eventually secured a parliamentary seat in 1910 in the Ashton-under-Lyme constituency. Helped by his long-term friendship with Andrew Bonar-Law, the only Canadian to become British prime minister.
During WWI, he served in a number of posts becoming instrumental in the Canadian War Memorials Fund and the Canadian War Records Office. He also wrote a three-volume account of and entitled The Canadians in Flanders. He served as head of the newly formed Ministry of Information under Lloyd George's premiership, using his organisational skills and his ownership of newspapers to delivery messages and campaigns in this new evolving area.
Well connected to Sassoon, Kipling, Chirchill, Duff & Diana Cooper and H.G Wells, amongst many others he worked and partied hard. His role in the background of the Abdication, including meetings with Edward VIII to dissuade him from his affair with Wallis Simpson are interesting, as the king and the government circled around each other and the eventual decision to step down from the throne is made.
Beaverbrook was a believer in Empire and that war with Germany could be avoided, but when the curtain fell and Poland invaded in September 1939, he stood ready to serve. With Churchill's premiership Beaverbrook took on the role of Minister of Aircraft Production, and building on the already in train improvements and increased production, he oversaw a even greater increase to help RAF Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain, but also Bomber, Coastal, Transport and Ferry Commands secure aircraft to meet their needs. Chuchill stated "His personal force and genius made this Aitken's finest hour." There has been, and it is discussed in the book, that Beaverbrook's work was not as great as suggested, but both the author and others do recognise the work and changes he made to bring more planes and a belief it could be done. In 1941 he headed a delegation to Russia as Britain and American commenced the support of Russia, and what became the huge (and often forgotten) supply line to the USSR of everything from metal springs, bandages, oils and machinery to leather, ropes, machine guns, tanks and planes. Following this and his work throughout WWII he became close to FDR, visiting and sharing time with him.
He wrothe a number of books and maintained ownership of his newspapers until his death. His relationships, marriage, affairs are all well discussed as is his behaviour and friendhsips with women. His character and obsessions, his worries, illnesses, interests and relationships with his staffs, friends and rivals are also covered.
Generous, bitter, determined, cutting, kind, loving, disparaging and brave. Max Beaverbrook lived to the age of 85. He lived through, worked and played in, and indeed helped shape some of the most well-known times and events of the 20th Century. Not quite a gentleman, but certainly an interesting man.
Charles Williams has treated his subject with due respect, but without genuflection and so we see the good, bad and indeed brilliant and awful aspects of Beaverbrook's character and behaviour.
Born in Canada to a Scottish born father, a Presbyterian minister and a Candian mother, he started business life selling Life Insurance before moving into finance and ultimately making his fortune.
Moving between Canada and Britain he eventually secured a parliamentary seat in 1910 in the Ashton-under-Lyme constituency. Helped by his long-term friendship with Andrew Bonar-Law, the only Canadian to become British prime minister.
During WWI, he served in a number of posts becoming instrumental in the Canadian War Memorials Fund and the Canadian War Records Office. He also wrote a three-volume account of and entitled The Canadians in Flanders. He served as head of the newly formed Ministry of Information under Lloyd George's premiership, using his organisational skills and his ownership of newspapers to delivery messages and campaigns in this new evolving area.
Well connected to Sassoon, Kipling, Chirchill, Duff & Diana Cooper and H.G Wells, amongst many others he worked and partied hard. His role in the background of the Abdication, including meetings with Edward VIII to dissuade him from his affair with Wallis Simpson are interesting, as the king and the government circled around each other and the eventual decision to step down from the throne is made.
Beaverbrook was a believer in Empire and that war with Germany could be avoided, but when the curtain fell and Poland invaded in September 1939, he stood ready to serve. With Churchill's premiership Beaverbrook took on the role of Minister of Aircraft Production, and building on the already in train improvements and increased production, he oversaw a even greater increase to help RAF Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain, but also Bomber, Coastal, Transport and Ferry Commands secure aircraft to meet their needs. Chuchill stated "His personal force and genius made this Aitken's finest hour." There has been, and it is discussed in the book, that Beaverbrook's work was not as great as suggested, but both the author and others do recognise the work and changes he made to bring more planes and a belief it could be done. In 1941 he headed a delegation to Russia as Britain and American commenced the support of Russia, and what became the huge (and often forgotten) supply line to the USSR of everything from metal springs, bandages, oils and machinery to leather, ropes, machine guns, tanks and planes. Following this and his work throughout WWII he became close to FDR, visiting and sharing time with him.
He wrothe a number of books and maintained ownership of his newspapers until his death. His relationships, marriage, affairs are all well discussed as is his behaviour and friendhsips with women. His character and obsessions, his worries, illnesses, interests and relationships with his staffs, friends and rivals are also covered.
Generous, bitter, determined, cutting, kind, loving, disparaging and brave. Max Beaverbrook lived to the age of 85. He lived through, worked and played in, and indeed helped shape some of the most well-known times and events of the 20th Century. Not quite a gentleman, but certainly an interesting man.
July 17, 2019
This is a comprehensive look at an incredible life. Max Aitken, Baron Beaverbrook was a contentious figure but he was present at some incredible points of early 20th Century history. There are surprising historical insights from his life in Canada, Great Britain, Russia, Newspaper Publishing, World Wars etc. He was not always highly regarded, but it seems he was everywhere and knew everybody. I learned random things about such varied topics as Churchillian Westminster politics and early frontier Canadian political history from New Brunswick and Alberta. Well annotated with rich source bibliographies after every chapter.
November 13, 2022
An objective and enjoyable biography of a fascinating man. The story of Beaverbrook's business dealings in Canada is particularly interesting, and it's shame we don't get to read much of the newspaper business as a business.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews