Rivals in the Storm: How Lloyd George Seized Power, Won the War and Lost his Government - Recommended by Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics

by Damian Collins

Overview

— Shortlisted for the Westminster Book Awards in the category of Best Biography by a Parliamentarian.

A vivid biography in cinematic snapshots of David Lloyd George, one of the world's greatest statesmen.

Brought up in rural North Wales, David Lloyd George attended neither a grand school nor ancient university. He was very much an outsider. And yet he rose through the ranks with charisma, fierce intelligence and fighting spirit to become, as Churchill put it in his tribute, a man who 'stood, when at his zenith, without a rival'.

But his rise was not without its hardships, and in Rivals in the Storm, experienced MP and author Damian Collins focuses on the impact of Lloyd George's personality on other leading politicians, in driving progressive reforms through government, changing the course of the First World War to lead the Allies to victory, and cementing Britain's alliance with America.

Covering Lloyd George's emergence as the dominating political personality in Great Britain to the aftermath of his resignation, this fascinating biography takes you inside the rooms where the important decisions happened, and shows the bitter struggles as well as the triumphs of this great man of his or any other age, who nonetheless fell short of his own high expectations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399407106
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.45(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

Damian Collins OBE was the Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe from 2010 to 2024. He is a former Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy and was previously Chair of the House of Commons select committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Chair of the Joint Lords and Commons Parliamentary Committee on the Online Safety Bill. His first book was Charmed Life: The Phenomenal World of Philip Sassoon, published by William Collins in 2016. He wrote the chapter on Lloyd George for Iain Dale's book, The Prime Ministers, published by Hodder in 2020. In the same series he has written about Theodore Roosevelt in The Presidents (Hodder 2021), and Edward VIII in Kings and Queens (Hodder 2023). Rivals in the Storm: How Lloyd George Seized Power, Won the War and Lost His Government was published in 2024 by Bloomsbury Continuum. In addition, he has written for a number of publications, including The Times, Daily Telegraph, New York Times, Irish Times, Guardian, Daily Mail and Wired.

Table of Contents

Prologue

The Brewing Storm

Man of Push and Go

The Cabal

The Powers That Be

Submit or Resign

Gentlemen and Players

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Mud Sticks

The Man Who Won the War

Prime Minister for Life

The Rules of the Road

Solver of the Insoluble

Things Fall Apart

Notes

Acknowledgements

Index

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating, provocative, timely reflection from the inside of politics on how Lloyd George's rhetoric, intuition, blarney, and wit often grasped what the professionals missed. And why amateurs can – sometimes at least – save the day.” —Rory Stewart

“Superb.” —Daily Express

“David Lloyd George was the dynamo who won the Great War after overthrowing his party leader in a vicious political coup, and who was six years later overthrown the same way. The most charismatic and energetic figure of his era, he had to deal with powerful generals who distrusted him, coalition allies who disliked him, and a monarch who only slowly came round to him. In this deeply researched and intensely readable book, Damian Collins shows the inner man, and how he navigated the great crises of his country, and ultimately of civilization.” —Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

“A fascinating book with a gripping narrative. Lloyd George is very well portrayed; a great leader who deserves his statue in Parliament Square. I enjoyed this book enormously and learned a lot.” —Tom Bower, author of Boris Johnson: The Gambler

“Brilliantly researched. Collins's book gives us a memorable overview of what was being discussed, urgently and sometimes furiously, in the club dining rooms and country house in which Lloyd George dined, his mind always focused on one thing: how to secure total victory.” —Daily Mail

“Engagingly written and professionally researched.” —Times Literary Supplement

“An astonishing argument for the power of politicians at a time when it often feels as though there is no power anywhere.” —Rory Stewart, Guardian

“A beautifully written page turner.” —Aspects of History

“This study of David Lloyd George's premiership reveals once again that no more fascinating character, not even Disraeli or Churchill, has presided over the destiny of the nation.” —Literary Review

From the Publisher