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Disraeli, portrait of a romantic
A Masterpiece Theatre dramatic series presented on PBS and WGBH, Boston
539 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
David Butler
11 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Born in Lanarkshire, in 1927, the son of teachers, David Butler studied English at St Andrews University but left without a degree after immersing himself in acting with the university drama society. He then trained at Rada, before appearing in West End revues and playing a young prison officer in a 1956 Joan Littlewood Theatre Workshop production of the Brendan Behan play The Quare Fellow.
Butler's face became well known on television as Dr Nick Williams, an anaesthetist, in ITV's first twice-weekly serial, Emergency - Ward 10 (1960-62), which was also Britain's first medical soap, set in the fictitious Oxbridge General Hospital. He seized the chance to write episodes of the programme (1963-64) and subsequently contributed scripts to the children's adventure series Orlando (1965-68) and The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972-74), as well as the police dramas Special Branch (1969-74) and Van Der Valk (1972-73)
After acting in episodes of Softly, Softly (1968), Sherlock Holmes (1968), Paul Temple (1971) and The Regiment (1972), and playing Christopher Mont in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), Butler devoted most of his time to writing historical dramas.
First was The Strauss Family (1972), about the 19th-century composers, with music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1978 came his four-part mini-series Disraeli, starring Ian McShane as the flamboyant Tory prime minister, another success in the United States. Butler also contributed to the popular Edwardian period drama The Duchess of Duke Street (1976-77). His last notable solo success, Lord Mountbatten: the last Viceroy (1985), won him an Emmy award, at a time when the last days of the Raj became popular on screen.
Butler's Within These Walls (1973-78) originally starred Googie Withers as governor of the fictitious women's prison Stone Park, with Butler himself playing the prison chaplain, the Rev Henry Prentice, in some episodes. He also created the wartime drama series We'll Meet Again (1982) and wrote The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist (1980), The Scarlet and the Black (1983, another Second World War drama) and Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
Although his excursions into cinema were rare, Butler was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay of Voyage of the Damned (1976), the true story of Jews leaving Nazi Germany on a ship bound for Havana - with Max von Sydow as the captain - but denied permission to land anywhere. Butler also adapted Alistair MacLean's thriller Bear Island into a 1979 film.
Anthony Hayward
Born in Lanarkshire, in 1927, the son of teachers, David Butler studied English at St Andrews University but left without a degree after immersing himself in acting with the university drama society. He then trained at Rada, before appearing in West End revues and playing a young prison officer in a 1956 Joan Littlewood Theatre Workshop production of the Brendan Behan play The Quare Fellow.
Butler's face became well known on television as Dr Nick Williams, an anaesthetist, in ITV's first twice-weekly serial, Emergency - Ward 10 (1960-62), which was also Britain's first medical soap, set in the fictitious Oxbridge General Hospital. He seized the chance to write episodes of the programme (1963-64) and subsequently contributed scripts to the children's adventure series Orlando (1965-68) and The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972-74), as well as the police dramas Special Branch (1969-74) and Van Der Valk (1972-73)
After acting in episodes of Softly, Softly (1968), Sherlock Holmes (1968), Paul Temple (1971) and The Regiment (1972), and playing Christopher Mont in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970), Butler devoted most of his time to writing historical dramas.
First was The Strauss Family (1972), about the 19th-century composers, with music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1978 came his four-part mini-series Disraeli, starring Ian McShane as the flamboyant Tory prime minister, another success in the United States. Butler also contributed to the popular Edwardian period drama The Duchess of Duke Street (1976-77). His last notable solo success, Lord Mountbatten: the last Viceroy (1985), won him an Emmy award, at a time when the last days of the Raj became popular on screen.
Butler's Within These Walls (1973-78) originally starred Googie Withers as governor of the fictitious women's prison Stone Park, with Butler himself playing the prison chaplain, the Rev Henry Prentice, in some episodes. He also created the wartime drama series We'll Meet Again (1982) and wrote The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist (1980), The Scarlet and the Black (1983, another Second World War drama) and Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
Although his excursions into cinema were rare, Butler was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay of Voyage of the Damned (1976), the true story of Jews leaving Nazi Germany on a ship bound for Havana - with Max von Sydow as the captain - but denied permission to land anywhere. Butler also adapted Alistair MacLean's thriller Bear Island into a 1979 film.
Anthony Hayward
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 20, 2013
I read this book last year and have been meaning to write a review of it ever since. Prior to reading this story I had almost no idea who Benjamin Disraeli actually was. I originally picked up this paperback edition at a library book sale many years ago, primarily because a comic book artist I liked used the pen-name Disraeli when he worked on the Lazarus Churchyard series.
One of the interesting things about this book is that it is a Novelization of a Masterpiece Theatre Presentation of the life of Disraeli. Originally there were two volumes in the novelization, Disraeli: The Adventurer and Disraeli: The Great Game. However for the American edition, they figured that we probably wouldn't stand around for the whole story so best to just condense it down. And they were probably right, I doubt I would have picked it up if it was two big fat books about someone I didn't actually know anything about.
If you are like I was and have no idea who Disraeli actually is, let me start by saying that without his heroic oratory skills and his tireless devotion to improving the lot of the British people, our own system of democracy would be rather more dismal today than it already is.
Although baptized as an Anglican, Disraeli was proud of his Jewish heritage in a time where being Jewish meant that your opportunities in life were severely limited. He was a Romantic writer saddled with debt at an early age by a misjudgment about the best way to invest upon a "sure-thing" which did not pan out. And he was a lover, of life and especially of beautiful ladies. His story is a series of struggles to overcome prejudice, misfortune, and his own shortcomings. And in the end it is a story of triumph and of love. Benjamin Disraeli became the most loved and best trusted Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria. His policies helped Britain regain her status as a world power to be reckoned with and improved the democratic ideals at the core of their government. He helped bring the vote to the common laborer so that more people had a voice, not just land owners and cronies of the house of lords. And really helped to define what it was to be a conservative in a time of radical change.
If you are at all interested in British history. If you have a love for things romantic or poetical, I'd say you'll be doing yourself a favor by finding a copy of this work. For more info of course, you can check out the Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin...
One of the interesting things about this book is that it is a Novelization of a Masterpiece Theatre Presentation of the life of Disraeli. Originally there were two volumes in the novelization, Disraeli: The Adventurer and Disraeli: The Great Game. However for the American edition, they figured that we probably wouldn't stand around for the whole story so best to just condense it down. And they were probably right, I doubt I would have picked it up if it was two big fat books about someone I didn't actually know anything about.
If you are like I was and have no idea who Disraeli actually is, let me start by saying that without his heroic oratory skills and his tireless devotion to improving the lot of the British people, our own system of democracy would be rather more dismal today than it already is.
Although baptized as an Anglican, Disraeli was proud of his Jewish heritage in a time where being Jewish meant that your opportunities in life were severely limited. He was a Romantic writer saddled with debt at an early age by a misjudgment about the best way to invest upon a "sure-thing" which did not pan out. And he was a lover, of life and especially of beautiful ladies. His story is a series of struggles to overcome prejudice, misfortune, and his own shortcomings. And in the end it is a story of triumph and of love. Benjamin Disraeli became the most loved and best trusted Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria. His policies helped Britain regain her status as a world power to be reckoned with and improved the democratic ideals at the core of their government. He helped bring the vote to the common laborer so that more people had a voice, not just land owners and cronies of the house of lords. And really helped to define what it was to be a conservative in a time of radical change.
If you are at all interested in British history. If you have a love for things romantic or poetical, I'd say you'll be doing yourself a favor by finding a copy of this work. For more info of course, you can check out the Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin...
February 9, 2026
Part 1 of novelisation of TV series I loved as a teenager.
I went back to this with a completely different understanding of time and place. This isn’t great history, or fiction, but is a good yarn. Obviously my mood is for the light reading.
It ends with a growing admiration in 1842 of Prince Albert.. spoiler ~ he dies early in part 2.
I went back to this with a completely different understanding of time and place. This isn’t great history, or fiction, but is a good yarn. Obviously my mood is for the light reading.
It ends with a growing admiration in 1842 of Prince Albert.. spoiler ~ he dies early in part 2.
March 13, 2011
Warning, this contains spoilers.
I adored this book. Very well written--I couldn't put it down--there wasn’t a boring page in it. Author David Butler makes you feel like you are in the room, observing this fascinating man in the flesh. He provides lush details. There is palpable tension in the air when Dizzy walks into the Carlton Club, the House of Commons, or visits the Queen.
Reading this book confirmed for me that Disraeli is one of the most interesting politicians, and his unlikely story one of the most fascinating. Though way ahead of his time, he was touchingly old-fashioned (even in the 19th century), in that he was a true romantic, a patriot, and, like his father before him, a man of honor. He was also one of the major dandies of his time, rather vain, and a hopeless womanizer (though not an adulterer). The love of his life turned out to be one of the most unlikely matches ever, and yet an extremely successful and endearing one. I read about Mary Anne Disraeli a long time ago, and became a big fan. I liked her portrayal in this book, as well as the acknowledgement of the vital role she played. And then there’s Disraeli’s unique quasi-romance with Queen Victoria ;-) . . . and I love the way this was captured.
If you'd like to read a story about history, grace under fire, struggles against insurmountable odds, the power of honesty and truth over lies and denial--this book is for you. But don't worry, nothing about Disraeli is heavy handed or sanctimonious. He gladly left those roles to his rivals. Disraeli was the butterfly, never the serpent. He was a brilliant strategist and a born cynic with keen intelligence and incorrigible humor. He was an eccentric, but more so, he was an original.
This book shows very clearly that Disraeli was the ultimate gambler and risk taker. He led his entire life on the bleeding edge, so, since I read about him so long ago (and I was rusty on the details of his life), for me, this read like a thriller. Like his friends and enemies of old, I never knew if his antics would cause him to sink to lower depths or rise to greater glory. Though this book reveals him as flawed and completely human, he still comes across as a multi-faceted sparkling enigma, emanating endless color and nuance in the two-dimensional black and white Victorian world that tried desperately to keep him down.
Yet I do not think this depiction is exaggerated. He was so intriguing and anomalous; he truly made life more interesting for all who knew him and even for the masses of people who followed each step of his unlikely career. This must be the case, since their hearts slowly turned from scorn and contempt to respect, gratefulness, pride, and even adoration, over the course of fifty years. He took on the toughest bigots and evangelists, the shrewdest world leaders; he prevented wars; improved the lives of the working people and the poor; and changed many powerful aristocrats for the better. He also completely transformed the Conservative Party. And he achieved all this without wealth or privilege, playing the role of the outcast in the minority party for most of his life.
Not knowing a whole lot about the British political system and all the players and reforms of the period, I got a bit confused at times. I would have liked a little more detail and explanation, but this might have made the book tedious for scholars and historians, so perhaps a compromise had to be made. There were also events that were glossed over completely, such as the Zulu Wars, which I would have liked to read much more about--in terms of Disraeli's perspective, choices, and decisions. But, as I said, there was never a dull moment, and I could always follow the main storyline easily. Also, there are plenty of books about Disraeli, and perhaps Butler thought this has been covered well enough elsewhere.
The only caveat I will add is that I have not yet read enough about Disraeli to know if this book is unbiased--if it gives the whole account--but perhaps it shouldn't be judged on that basis anyway. Obviously, some authors are less biased than others; but if we want to know the whole story, I believe we should read as much about each subject as we can, and once we see many different views, draw our own conclusions. The more knowledge we have (and the less personal bias) the more accurate our conclusions can be.
If it happens that we fall in love with our subject along the way, this may tarnish our assessment. Then again, true objectivity is probably scientifically impossible, and the more love we discharge into the ionosphere the better. So I say, strive to be objective but never at the cost of love, faith, passion, or reverence--and I think Dizzy would agree. ;-)
I adored this book. Very well written--I couldn't put it down--there wasn’t a boring page in it. Author David Butler makes you feel like you are in the room, observing this fascinating man in the flesh. He provides lush details. There is palpable tension in the air when Dizzy walks into the Carlton Club, the House of Commons, or visits the Queen.
Reading this book confirmed for me that Disraeli is one of the most interesting politicians, and his unlikely story one of the most fascinating. Though way ahead of his time, he was touchingly old-fashioned (even in the 19th century), in that he was a true romantic, a patriot, and, like his father before him, a man of honor. He was also one of the major dandies of his time, rather vain, and a hopeless womanizer (though not an adulterer). The love of his life turned out to be one of the most unlikely matches ever, and yet an extremely successful and endearing one. I read about Mary Anne Disraeli a long time ago, and became a big fan. I liked her portrayal in this book, as well as the acknowledgement of the vital role she played. And then there’s Disraeli’s unique quasi-romance with Queen Victoria ;-) . . . and I love the way this was captured.
If you'd like to read a story about history, grace under fire, struggles against insurmountable odds, the power of honesty and truth over lies and denial--this book is for you. But don't worry, nothing about Disraeli is heavy handed or sanctimonious. He gladly left those roles to his rivals. Disraeli was the butterfly, never the serpent. He was a brilliant strategist and a born cynic with keen intelligence and incorrigible humor. He was an eccentric, but more so, he was an original.
This book shows very clearly that Disraeli was the ultimate gambler and risk taker. He led his entire life on the bleeding edge, so, since I read about him so long ago (and I was rusty on the details of his life), for me, this read like a thriller. Like his friends and enemies of old, I never knew if his antics would cause him to sink to lower depths or rise to greater glory. Though this book reveals him as flawed and completely human, he still comes across as a multi-faceted sparkling enigma, emanating endless color and nuance in the two-dimensional black and white Victorian world that tried desperately to keep him down.
Yet I do not think this depiction is exaggerated. He was so intriguing and anomalous; he truly made life more interesting for all who knew him and even for the masses of people who followed each step of his unlikely career. This must be the case, since their hearts slowly turned from scorn and contempt to respect, gratefulness, pride, and even adoration, over the course of fifty years. He took on the toughest bigots and evangelists, the shrewdest world leaders; he prevented wars; improved the lives of the working people and the poor; and changed many powerful aristocrats for the better. He also completely transformed the Conservative Party. And he achieved all this without wealth or privilege, playing the role of the outcast in the minority party for most of his life.
Not knowing a whole lot about the British political system and all the players and reforms of the period, I got a bit confused at times. I would have liked a little more detail and explanation, but this might have made the book tedious for scholars and historians, so perhaps a compromise had to be made. There were also events that were glossed over completely, such as the Zulu Wars, which I would have liked to read much more about--in terms of Disraeli's perspective, choices, and decisions. But, as I said, there was never a dull moment, and I could always follow the main storyline easily. Also, there are plenty of books about Disraeli, and perhaps Butler thought this has been covered well enough elsewhere.
The only caveat I will add is that I have not yet read enough about Disraeli to know if this book is unbiased--if it gives the whole account--but perhaps it shouldn't be judged on that basis anyway. Obviously, some authors are less biased than others; but if we want to know the whole story, I believe we should read as much about each subject as we can, and once we see many different views, draw our own conclusions. The more knowledge we have (and the less personal bias) the more accurate our conclusions can be.
If it happens that we fall in love with our subject along the way, this may tarnish our assessment. Then again, true objectivity is probably scientifically impossible, and the more love we discharge into the ionosphere the better. So I say, strive to be objective but never at the cost of love, faith, passion, or reverence--and I think Dizzy would agree. ;-)
November 5, 2008
A good kind of novelized biography of one of the great figures in English history. I read it originally when the series came out on PBS and i fell DESPERATELY for Ian McShane. A little heavy going in the beginning and the end, but really good in the middle.
July 25, 2012
Haven't finished the book yet, but while the writing is so-so, the history is interesting. And I see some definite similarities between the politics of that time in England and the politics of our time here in the USA.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews