Palmerston (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781417901203)

Palmerston is a biography of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, written by British historian Philip Guedalla. The book chronicles the life of Palmerston, who was a prominent British statesman in the 19th century. Palmerston served as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, and Prime Minister during his long and distinguished career. Guedalla explores Palmerston's personal life, political career, and his impact on British foreign policy during a time of great change and upheaval in Europe. The book delves into Palmerston's relationships with other notable figures of the time, including Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, and Czar Nicholas I. Guedalla paints a complex portrait of Palmerston, examining his strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, and his legacy as a statesman. The book is a comprehensive and engaging look at one of the most influential figures in British political history.1926. Guedalla, historian and irreverent biographer, explains the scope and purpose of this book and his design in writing it: The life of Palmerston was the life of England and, to a large extent, of Europe in the last sixteen years of the Eighteenth and the first sixty-five of the Nineteenth Centuries. Perhaps its magnitude accounts for the fact that the task has been so rarely undertaken. For he covered an amazing span. Stated in terms of art, his life unites an almost legendary past to our own time: when he was born, Reynolds was painting Mrs. Siddons, and Mr. Swinburne published Atalanta in Calydon in the year that he died. A Regency beau, he spoke in debate when Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox had not long fallen silent, and he was Secretary at War against Napoleon. He moved in the candlelight of the drawing-rooms where Mr. Creevey told his stories; and men still living have conversed with him. For he lived to be fifteen years Foreign Secretary and twice Prime Minister in the gathering gloom of a later age. His first diplomatic duels were fought with Talleyrand and Metternich, his last with Mr. Lincoln and Prince Bismarck. For he had a positive genius for survival; perhaps the reason why he left no disciples was that he had survived them all. Did he not accept office from Mr. Spencer Perceval and live to offer it to Mr. Cobden? So it is not surprising that his long journey across the English scene has startled biography into one of its rare silences. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Author: Philip Guedalla
ISBN-10: 1417901209
ISBN-13: 9781417901203
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
Language: English
Published: 04/01/2005
Pages: 540
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.73lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.20d