Palmerston: A Biography

by David Brown

A grand and fascinating figure in Victorian politics, the charismatic Lord Palmerston (1784–1865) served as foreign secretary for fifteen years and prime minister for nine, engaged in struggles with everyone from the Duke of Wellington to Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, engineered the defeat of the Russians in the Crimean War, and played a major role in the development of liberalism and the Liberal Party. This comprehensive biography, informed by unprecedented research in the statesman’s personal archives, gives full weight not only to Palmerston’s foreign policy achievements, but also to his domestic political activity, political thought, life as a landlord, and private life and affairs. Through the lens of the milieu of his times, the book pinpoints for the first time the nature and extent of Palmerston’s contributions to the making of modern Britain.

Genres: Biography, History

573 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2010

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a strange organizational style. One minute you are in 1809 the next in 1830. Nothing ever seems to be tied up. Palmerston fought for catholic emancipation, but when did the bill finally pass into law. The Great Reform Bill seems to be nearly forgotten. The only thing I can conclude is that the author was so intent on reprinting obscure letters or detailing the philosophy of Palmerston's tutor that he couldn't fit in these type if details that so many readers prefer. One cannot say though that it wasn't a well researched book. I just had to out it down after 259 pages if frustration.

[Frank Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superbly researched and wonderfully written biography of one of the grandest figures of the Victorian age. Both a Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, he presided over the robust imperial growth of Great Britain. An extraordinary figure who is much too much overlooked these days.

[Thomas Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, especially politically. Would have liked more about his home and personal life, especially in later years. E.g., Cambridge House only mentioned once, but he must have acquired it, moved in, entertained there, etc.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this a slow read and not always easy to follow. It often jumps around chronologically and doesn’t provide much context to the various personalities and events Palmerston was involved with, preferring streams of detail from his correspondence.

[Vicky Kennard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not often read nonfiction (outside of maths education) but this was a great read. I learnt so much.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm sure that this is the go-to biography of Lord Palmerston, the book is over-long, gets bogged down with rather pointless detail and, to make matters worse, is written with run-on sentences and interminable paragraphs. I suppose that I was also disappointed because Palmerston himself was not nearly as interesting a figure as I imagined him to be. He was a hard worker and a clever politician, but his career covered the era of general peace in Europe - with the major exception of the Crimean War - so Palmerston never had the chance to stand out like a Pitt, a Chatham or a Churchill. Nonetheless, his career and private life are covered in excruciating detail. Palmerston's favorite purview was foreign - especially European - affairs but his major accomplishments were the creation and neutralization of Belgium and solving a series of marriage crises in the Spanish and Portuguese royal houses. He could occasionally resort to diplomacy of the gunboat variety, specifically in China. One does get a handle on British politics in the mid-Victorian era, and the occasional gossip about Lord P's private life livens things up, but sparingly. I have history books that I re-read for the pure pleasure of enjoying them again. This won't be one of them.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Brown's biography of Lord Palmerston provides a detailed portrait of a key 19th century British political figure. As the author and editor of several previous studies of Palmerston, he beings a wealth of knowledge of his subject, which he supplements with considerable archival research. At times, though, his strengths can be the book's weakness, as the text can get bogged down with the details of mid-19th century British foreign policy. Nevertheless, this book rewards perseverance, and is easily the best, most informative single-volume biography of Palmerston available.