This book presents a study of Lord Salisbury, British prime minister in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, whose political philosophy was reactionary and defeatist, and who is remembered for an irony that was wounding as well as diverting.

Lord Salisbury dominated the late Victorian political scene. He was Prime Minister for much of the time and also Foreign Secretary, very often holding down the two positions concurrently. In achievement and ability he was at least the equal of Disraeli and Gladstone though less well remembered. In part that was the result of his own aloof and laodicean temperament but it was also the fault of there being no faintly adequate modern biography (his daughter, Lady Gwendolen Cecil wrote a magnificent biography early in the twentieth-century but although in four volumes it only got as far as 1892). At last, in 1999 with the publication of Andrew Roberts' biography this desideratum was filled. Here was the biography of sufficient stature to do justice to the Victorian Titan. Most aptly it went on to win the Wolfson History Prize and the James Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction. The uniformly outstanding reviews prove why. 'Andrew Roberts has filled one of the great gaps in Victorian historiography. This is the first authoritative life of the statesman who dominated politics from 1885 to 1902 . . . A brilliant biography that will long replace anything which has appeared before.' Robert Blake, Daily Telegraph 'This is a biography of quite unusual quality and insight, tautly organized yet flowing easily, with years of research behind it to reinforce its authority. While not seeking to diminish either Gladstone or Disraeli, it restores Salisbury to the commanding position he rightfully occupied in Victorian politics.' Peter Clarke, Sunday Times 'An outstanding achievement . . . seldom has such an important study been such splendid entertainment.' Piers Brendon, Independent 'This is a book to put on one's shelf alongside Ehrman's Younger Pitt, Gash's volumes on Peel and Blake's Disraeli . . . Andrew Roberts' book has the balance, insight all-roundedness and intellectual elegance of Lord Salisbury himself.' A. D. Harvey, Salisbury Review '(Salisbury) deserves, and has found, a fine biographer, who has left no stone unturned in his researches, has written cogently and well about his subject, and provided not just a history of Lord Salisbury, but one of the best histories yet of Victorian Britain and her place in the world.' Simon Heffer, Daily Mail ' Salisbury is a great biography, magisterially proportioned and fit to take its place with Gash on Peel and Blake on Disraeli, if not with Morley's Gladstone. Moreover, although constructed on a massive scale, it is so beautifully written that one could not want it a page shorter. It is unlikely ever to be superseded.' Vernon Bogdanor, Times Higher Educational Supplement 'Roberts triumphantly retrieves Salisbury from unmerited obscurity with a book as delightful to read as it is informative.' Niall Ferguson, Mail on Sunday 'A terrific piece of biography; I really enjoyed it.' Jeremy Paxman, Start the Week 'Andrew Roberts' Salisbury fills a most remarkable gap in British historiography with a study that that is not only learned and comprehensive but startlingly well-written.' Michael Howard, Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year 'It captures the essence of Salisbury in a way that nothing has has ever done for me before.' Roy Jenkins, Financial Times

During the course of the Twentieth Century, nineteen men and one woman - from Robert Cecil, Third Marquis of Salisbury to Tony Blair - have occupied the post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

This book provides a range of essays on aspects of the British Conservative Party from the late 19th century to the present day. It offers fresh perspectives on Margaret Thatcher and Thatcherism; Britain and Europe; UK policy towards Ireland; Conservatism and reform, and the conservative ideology, to name only a few of the key issues explored. An accessible and concise overview, this book is an important primer for anyone studying British politics, history, or social and political theory. Included are contributions by leading scholars in British political history, think tank commentators, and a former Prime Minister. It offers insights into the Conservative Party's staying power in spite of great social and political changes in the UK and the world. It looks at how the party has functioned historically and what its future might be, discussing its ideology and identity with reference to both Labour and Liberal opponents. Fundamentally it considers the conservative appeal to the electorate, conservative policy in both theory and practice, and debates that have taken place within and outside the party itself. Whether interested in Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George, or David Cameron and Nick Clegg, this work is intended to inform and challenge scholars and political practitioners alike.

Lord Salisbury (1830–1903) is now a subject of intense historical attention. This important study moves away from conventional biography and presents an original portrait of the mental world inhabited by late Victorian Conservatives at the time when their world-view was coming under severe strain. At the centre of the picture is the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, but Lord Salisbury's World does not simply tell the story of his life and politics. Instead, it asks sensitive questions about how the political, intellectual and religious environments of the late Victorian period seemed to one of its sharpest intellects, and it situates Salisbury and his immediate entourage in a wide landscape of relationships, perceptions and problems. Professor Bentley takes the reader into Conservative assumptions about time and space, property and society, religion and the state, and the past and the future - the very language in which they expressed themselves.

Who own's England? Behind this simple question lies this country's oldest and darkest secret. This is the history of how England's elite came to own our land - from aristocrats and the church to businessmen and corporations - and an inspiring manifesto for how we can take control back.

At the 1884-1885 Conference of Berlin a cartel of largely European states effectively set the rules for the partition of Africa, an event whose historical and structural importance continues to affect and shape Africa's contemporary international relations. This 'Curse' is a recurring theme in Adebajo's trenchant historical analysis, even though its main focus is on contemporary African issues after the Cold War. The first part of the book examines Africa's quest for security with three essays on Africa's security institutions such as the African Union and sub-regional bodies; another on the political, peacekeeping, and socio-economic roles of the United Nations (UN) in Africa; and a third on Africa's two UN Secretaries-General between 1992 and 2006: Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Ghana's Kofi Annan. The second section of the book focuses on Africa's quest for leadership, and five chapters examine the hegemonic roles of South Africa, Nigeria, the United States, China and France on the continent. The five chapters in the final section of the study analyse Africa's quest for unity, and examine the roles and significance for Africa of six historical figures: Mandela, Mbeki, Kwame Cecil Rhodes, Obama, and Gandhi; as well as assessing the African Union and the EU in comparative perspective.

"Making use of the wealth of private and official correspondence that has become available to the historian during the last ten years, Dr. Grenville here offers a general account of the diplomatic history of the years of Lord Salisbury's last administration, 1895-1902, and examines afresh the causes and nature of the significant change which occurred in the direction of British foreign policy." - from dust jacket