Am Hist R 26:147 O ’20 600w
“It is obviously a hurried piece of work, well enough written, but with a tendency to triteness and wordiness.”
+ − Cath World 112:390 D ’20 500w + N Y Times p16 O 31 ’20 130w R of Rs 62:110 Jl ’20 70w St Louis 18:106 Je ’20 20w
BUCKLE, GEORGE EARLE. Life of Benjamin Disraeli, earl of Beaconsfield. v 5–6 il ea *$6 Macmillan
The author of these two volumes is Monypenny’s successor. The work was extended in order to treat more fully of Disraeli’s management of the eastern question, the most outstanding feature of his administration. This was made possible, says the author, by the Russian revolution. “There can be now no reasons of international delicacy to prevent a full disclosure of Disraeli’s eastern policy.” Contents of volume 5: The Irish church, 1868; Defeat and resignation, 1868; Reserve in opposition, 1868–1871; Lothair, 1869–1870; The turn of the tide, 1872–1873; Bereavement, 1872–1873; Lady Bradford and Lady Chesterfield, 1873–1875; Power, 1874; Political success and physical failure, 1874; Social reform, 1874–1875; An imperial foreign policy, 1874–1875; Suez canal and royal title, 1875–1876; From the Commons to the Lords, 1876–1877; Appendix—an unfinished novel. Contents of volume 6: Reopening of the eastern question, 1875–1876; The Bulgarian atrocities, 1876; The Constantinople conference, 1876–1877; War and cabinet dissension, 1877; Conditional neutrality, 1877; Derby’s first resignation, 1877–1878; Final parting with Derby, 1878; Agreements with Russia and Turkey, 1878; The Congress of Berlin, 1878; The Afghan war, 1878; The Zulu war, 1879; Beaconsfield and the queen, 1874–1880; Last months of the government, 1879–1880; Dissolution and defeat, 1880; Endymion, 1880; The last year, 1880–1881; The man and his fame; Index to the six volumes.
+ Ath p72 Jl 16 ’20 2000w + Booklist 17:112 D ’20
“The record is as revealing as anything in range of British biography.”
+ Lit D p90 N 20 ’20 1600w
“For, with all respect to the preceding volumes of this monumental biography, none of them, nor all of them together, compare in interest, in the present reviewer’s opinion, with these two. It may be said at the outset that Mr Buckle has done his work well. His narrative is full and free and flowing. It has a nice proportion between his own words and those of his hero, an entertaining alternation between the life and the letters—and not too much of the speeches—of his subject; an agreeable and readable style; a pleasing touch of humour; a sufficiency of anecdote and allusion. It is, in brief, an excellent piece of biographical writing.” W. C. Abbott