One of the most charismatic and controversial of British politicians, David Lloyd George had a profound impact on the country; as a Welsh radical, as an Edwardian social reformer and as 'the man who won the war'. Lloyd George was centrally involved in all the major national issues of the early twentieth century, and in the aftermath of World War I he played a crucial role at the Versailles peace conference and on the world scene of the early 1920s. His life is fascinating in itself and highly valuable as a means to understanding a crucial era in British history. Students hoping to understand the politics of the period that decisively ushered in the British experience of the welfare state, and, through the emergencies provoked by the Great War, a new and highly obtrusive role for government, will find Dr. Packer's book an invaluable aid.

David Lloyd George left a profound political legacy, despite being described by the wife of his successor, Herbert Asquith, as a 'gambler without foresight'. He is, of course, best known as the Prime Minister who led Britain to victory in World War I, but his contribution to domestic politics was similarly impressive. As Chancellor of the Exchequer he introduced pensions and national insurance against sickness and unemployment, while as Prime Minister he extended democracy by giving votes to women. Yet Lloyd George was compromised by his flaws as a human being. Vain, cruel, capricious and dishonest, at times his notoriously corrupt nature threatened to damage the British political system. Providing a unique new perspective on one of the most phenomenally-talented - but also one of the most phenomenally-flawed - of British Prime Ministers, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in modern British politics and history.

David Lloyd George is widely regarded as one of the most effective British prime ministers of the twentieth century. A dynamic speaker and committed social reformer, he led Britain successfully through the devastation of World War I and had a powerful impact on international politics. In the post-war peace treaties, he sought a just, rather than a vengeful, settlement for the defeated powers in an attempt to preserve a peaceful international order. Whilst Lloyd George's achievements were undoubtedly substantial, his political record was not entirely without blemish and, in his personal life, he was a fascinating and complex character. Renowned as a womaniser, after 1913 he retained two separate households - one with his wife and one with his mistress, his former private secretary. Based on extensive research, Travis L. Crosby provides a fresh appraisal of the life of one of Britain's most conflicted politicians.

"Unlike available biographies of David Lloyd George, Jerry Gaw's study focuses on the popular British statesman's religious convictions and his lifelong adherence to Churches of Christ doctrine. Gaw explores the way George applied Christian principles to the diplomatic and military crises he encountered beginning with his time in the British legislature. Gaw's interpretation of George is largely based on the latter's eleven diaries and more than 3,000 letters written to his brother from 1886-1943. These diaries and letters have been little explored by modern biographers of George. Gaw's deep analysis presents an entirely different perspective on David Lloyd George and explains, in part, how he came to the decisions now enshrined in the annals of political history"--

Examines Lloyd George's powerful personal ambitions and his response to the challenges posed to Liberal society by radical conservatism and socialism. Drawing on the wealth of material available this is a concise, interpretative study.

Originally published in 1971, this book traces the revival, triumph, division and decline of the British Liberal Party in the late 19th & 20th centuries. It does so by focusing on the career of David Lloyd George, itself the decisive agent for change in this period. The first part of the book is an extended critical essay; the second part consists of primary documentary material which is intimately linked to the commentary in the first section. The major phases of the period are covered: The tension between the Old Liberalism and the New; the challenges confronting the Liberal government of 1905-15; the impact of world war and Lloyd George’s wartime premiership; the Lloyd George coalition in 1918-22 and the reasons for its downfall; and the slow decline of the Liberals between 1922 and 1929.

An understanding of Lloyd George's long and prominent political career elucidates many of the key issues in modern British history. Seen by some as `the man who won the war', he was central to the political activity which appeared to secure the pre-eminence of the Liberal party before the First World War, but which later contributed to its reduction in status. His initiatives in government, particularly in the area of social reform, helped to redefine the relationship between the state and society and laid the basis for the Welfare State. This pamphlet examines these developments with reference to Lloyd George's Welsh background, his personal ambitions and his response to the challenges posed to Liberal society by radical conservatism and socialism. It draws on the wealth of material that is now available and provides a concise, interpretive study.