Palmerston: A Biography

by David Brown

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300177961
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/10/2012
Pages:	584
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

David Brown is senior lecturer in modern history, University of Strathclyde. He lives in Glasgow.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations viii

A Note on Quotations x

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction 1

1 About Harry, 1784-1800 7

2 North and South, 1800-1806 19

3 War and Peace, 1806-1828 40

4 The Making of Palmerston I: Lord Cupid, Irish Landlord 77

5 The Making of Palmerston II: The Politician 104

6 The Whig Foreign Secretary, 1830-1834 143

7 Palmerston, Rex and Autocrat, 1835-1841 189

8 The Absentee, 1841-1846 243

9 The Gunpowder Minister, 1846-1851 279

10 The People's Minister, 1852-1855 334

11 The Mortal Minister, 1855-1859 380

12 The Prime Minister, 1859-1865 430

Legacy 481

Abbreviations 490

Notes 492

Index 556

Editorial Reviews

"In a sixty year political career that linked Pitt the Younger and Gladstone Lord Palmerston combined a mastery of high politics and diplomacy with an astute popular touch that secured the support of the British people. In the first full length biography based on the Palmerston archives David Brown reveals the conflicting strands at the heart of a successful career: a sophisticated intellectual with remarkable practical application, a determined hard-working playboy, and above all a politician who always knew his own mind, and had the confidence to chart a course between reaction and democracy at home and abroad. A landmark in nineteenth century history."—Andrew Lambert, author of Admirals: The Naval Commanders who made Britain Great

Andrew Lambert

"Brown has done distinguished work….An excellent study."—Edward Pearce, Tribune

Tribune - Edward Pearce

A meticulously researched chronicle that excavates the reality behind the image”—William Anthony Hay, Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal - William Anthony Hay

"This is a substantial book about a substantial figure. Rejecting simplistic assessments, David Brown paints a fascinating picture of a statesman who continues to defy easy categorization. . . . a major contribution to scholarship."—Michael J. Turner, Journal of British Studies

Journal of British Studies - Michael J. Turner

''David Brown's multi-faceted Palmerston, in its archival mastery, scope and insight, outdistances any other."—Keith Robbins

Keith Robbins

'A major biography, and the first one to really capture its subject in his fullness. Brown's work establishes him as a scholar of the first rank, and the book provides us with new insights into a fascinating character.'—John Charmley, author of Churchill: The End of Glory

John Charmley

"The book contains much of value, and I emerged from it exhausted and exasperated, but closer to understanding this extraordinary man."—Paul Johnson, Spectator

Spectator - Paul Johnson

"...rich, thoughtful...rewarding...surely [the] definitive life"—Ferdinand Mount, Times Literary Supplement

Times Literary Supplement - Ferdinand Mount

enormously detailed, scrupulously sourced…”—Stephen Matchett, The Australian

The Australian - Stephen Matchett

"Brown is a superb writer and his Palmerston ought to be required reading for all students of 19th-century political history."—Amanda Foreman, Financial Times

Financial Times - Amanda Foreman

"A hefty, statesman like life of the 19th-century prime minister."—Joy Lo Dico, The Independent on Sunday

The Independent on Sunday - Joy Lo Dico

"Brown’s scrupulous research recreates the vitality of the Whig governing tradition in its Victorian heyday. He brings alive Palmerston’s mental landscape…This will be the standard biography of the man."—Rohan McWilliam, History Today

History Today - Rohan McWilliam

Brown has done a wonderful job capturing the life of a truly remarkable man.”—The Good Book Guide

The Good Book Guide

"Brown’s biography is a fluently written, authoritative study which places Palmerston firmly in the context of his times."—Graham Goodlad, History Review

History Review - Graham Goodlad