The Memoirs of Walter Bagehot

The spirited and measured memoir of Walter Bagehot, had he left one Walter Bagehot (1826–1877) was a prominent English journalist, banker, and man of letters. For many years he was editor of The Economist, and to this day the magazine includes a weekly “Bagehot” column. His analyses of politics, economics, and public affairs were nothing short of brilliant. Sadly, he left no memoir.

How, then, does this book bear the title, The Memoirs of Walter Bagehot? Frank Prochaska explains, “Given my ...