Description
Book SynopsisAnthony Eden, who served as both Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister, was one of the central political figures of the twentieth century. He had good looks, charm, a Military Cross from the Great War, an Oxford first and a secure parliamentary constituency from his mid-twenties. He was Foreign Secretary at the age of 38, and the first British statesman to meet Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin. Eden''s dramatic resignation from Neville Chamberlain''s Cabinet in 1938, outlined here in the fullest detail yet, made an international impact.
This ground-breaking book examines his controversial life and tells the inside story of the Munich crisis (1938), the Geneva Conference (1954), Eden''s battles with Churchill over the modernisation of the post-war Conservative Party and his rivalry with Butler and Macmillan in the early 1950s, culminating in a fascinating analysis of the Suez crisis.
Trade Review[A] biography of almost unqualified excellence. -- Roy Hattersley * New Statesman *
The best-life of this ill-starred politician that we are likely to get...the skilful way he has paced his narrative...vivid...some of the disclosures are pure, unalloyed joy...Thorpe has painted a sympathetic enough portrait but he has not tried to blot out all the warts...excellent. -- ANTHONY HOWARD * SUNDAY TIMES *
Sympathetic and authoraitative...This biography, while solidly based on a myriad primary sources and a comprehensive range of secondary ones, flows easily with many nice touches...easily the best friendly account. -- INA GILMOUR * FINANCIAL TIMES *
A biography of almost unqualified excellence...comprehensive, authoritative, balanced and invariably (throughout more than 600 pages) readable...In a year or more of notable biographies, there has been nothing to touch it...as told by D.R. Thorpe it is a history of exceptionally high quality. -- Roy Hattersley * New Statesman *
