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Zusatztext 'An excellent! thoughtful! well researched and wholly unpretentious account of Gladstone's archetypal Victorian life! with all its energy! achievements and tension! and its dedication to the noble concepts and consolations of progress! the family and religious faith - though laced with bouts of self-delusion and touched by scandal. Whether you think of Gladstone as the `Grand Old Man' or the `Grand Old Hypocrite' this lucid! down to earth and intelligent biography will give you the broader and better informed view.' - Denis Judd! London Metropolitan University W.E. Gladstone (1809-1898) was prime minister of Great Britain four times during the Victorian era and is considered one of the most important political figures in modern British history. This biography provides a new assessment of Gladstone's life and career, placing him firmly in the context of nineteenth century Britain. Surveying a broad range of source material, Partridge begins by examining Gladstone's early life, education, entry to Parliament and marriage. He goes on to look in detail at Gladstone's terms as prime minister concluding with his fourth ministry, when Gladstone, by now in his eighties, returned to power. Partridge recounts how Gladstone tried and failed to resolve the problems of Ireland, which had become his great obsession, for the last time and eventually reties from politics in 1894 and died a few years later. This engaging work provides a deep and thorough survey of the life and significance of Gladstone, and is a welcome starting point for all those interested in one of the most prominent and complex characters of Victorian Britain. Zusammenfassung A new survey of Gladstone's life and career, placing him firmly in the context of nineteenth-century Britain, and covering both his intriguing private life and his public career. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction; 1: Early Life and Career, 1809–1834; 2: The Peelite, 1834–1852; 3: The Rise to Power, 1853–1868; 4: The First Ministry, 1868–1874; 5: Retirement and Midlothian, 1874–1880; 6: The Second and Third Ministries, 1880–1886; 7: Opposition, The Fourth Ministry and Retirement, 1886–1898; Conclusion...
