Character and Style in English Politics

A study of leading English politicians from the Tudor period to the time of original publication in 1969.

J. H. Grainger (Author)

9780521133883, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 18 March 2010

300 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.61 kg

A study of leading English politicians from the Tudor period to the time of original publication in 1969. In his introductory chapter Mr Grainger discusses the general nature of the politician's work, the importance of imagination, common-sense and verbal felicity and attempts to pin down what the 'greatness' of 'great' politicians involved. In the main part of this book he presents a series of brilliant interpretative essays on individual politicians. Mr Grainger makes the distinction between 'character' and 'style' as touchstones to identify and evaluate the qualities of those dissident politicians who spoke for country against court in the seventeenth century and those who took a stand in the eighteenth century but were assimilated into the political order. This is followed by a discussion of Victorian political heroes, and of notable leaders, Liberal, Labour and Conservative, of the twentieth century.

Preface
Note on footnotes
1. Introduction
2. Court and Country politicians
3. The assimilation of character and style
4. Platform politicians
5. The mantle of Elijah
6. 'Difficulties of a statesman'
7. Innovation and restorations: Lloyd George and Baldwin
8. Labour's lost leaders
9. The presumptive virtue of Conservatives
10. Words and action: Churchill and Eden
11. The quilted anvil
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]