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Dizzy: A Life of Benjamin Disraeli
Hardback w/o dj, 1951 Grossett & Dunlap, no printing history given. Out of Print. Book in very good condition, spine is tight w/ one small tear on black binding of spine, boards are tan cloth and flat , square. Pages are rough cut, 310, no marking in text or illustrations. 1st ed, 1st printing.
- GenresBiography
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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About the author
Hesketh Pearson
91 books1 followerEdward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson was an English actor, theatre director and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial success.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 11, 2020
The biography of the extraordinary British Prime Minister and writer, Benjamin Disraeli.
“Read no history, nothing but biography, for that is life without theory”
His charm and character didn’t go unnoticed, making him one of Queen Victoria’s favourite ministers. Disraeli felt “indebted to women for his success in life”, which were in fact manifold. Putting pleasure into duty, Disraeli was determined to maintain peace, raising the British reputation and diverting possible escalations of war.
A determined individual, unique in modern history and likely to remain so.
It’s inspiring to read of a successful man who wholeheartedly respects the woman.
“Read no history, nothing but biography, for that is life without theory”
His charm and character didn’t go unnoticed, making him one of Queen Victoria’s favourite ministers. Disraeli felt “indebted to women for his success in life”, which were in fact manifold. Putting pleasure into duty, Disraeli was determined to maintain peace, raising the British reputation and diverting possible escalations of war.
A determined individual, unique in modern history and likely to remain so.
It’s inspiring to read of a successful man who wholeheartedly respects the woman.
November 10, 2020
What a loony book. Not only does Pearson think Gladstone the embodiment of malign incompetence, he thinks Disraeli the Personification of Pure Political Perception. And this is the feeling the book produced in me, a great admirer of Disraeli.
I first read it decades ago, as a college student, not knowing anything about either Gladstone or Disraeli, except that a caricature of Disraeli showed up in one of Tenniel's illustrations to Alice. Imagine my surprise when I learned that it was something like Paradise Lost, with Gladstone as Satan and Dizzy as the Archangel Michael. My knowledge is somewhat more nuanced now, so I was better able to filter out the campaign-biography aspects.
Pearson is better on someone like Wilde, who is, after all, an entertainer first.
I first read it decades ago, as a college student, not knowing anything about either Gladstone or Disraeli, except that a caricature of Disraeli showed up in one of Tenniel's illustrations to Alice. Imagine my surprise when I learned that it was something like Paradise Lost, with Gladstone as Satan and Dizzy as the Archangel Michael. My knowledge is somewhat more nuanced now, so I was better able to filter out the campaign-biography aspects.
Pearson is better on someone like Wilde, who is, after all, an entertainer first.
September 3, 2014
I love history, especially the glorious history of the British Empire. This book was an exciting chronicle of the illustrious Benjamin Disraeli, who was also an exceptional author. I was very surprised to find out more about his work aside from the great political achievements he had during the Victorian Age. There are many quotes here which I have used also. The most interesting aspect of this work I found was how Disreali recreated himself-from being a nobody and outsider to being a hero of immense power and influence. It was a great read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews