Customer Reviews

David Lloyd George: A Political Life (The Architect of Change, 1863-1912)

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The degree of research and documentation makes this an indispensable resource for Ll.G. and for British politics of the day. It is amazing to me how few biographies of the man one can lay hands on, given his importance.

But even though Gilbert recognizes Ll.G.'s flaws, the biographer's sympathy overwhelms his judgment. Roy Jenkins in his Asquith bio is surely correct that an early Ulster partition would've made no difference: the Unionists wanted an issue and were going to have one, regardless. But Gilbert takes this as an instance of his subject's brilliance and Asquith's cluelessness. Numerous snipes at Asquith are unjustified. The author is also at some pains to take Churchill down a few notches, tho here he has a better motive -- the fame of the later Churchill can obscure the fact that he really could be insufferable.

So read this book and use it, but check around before accepting its broader judgments at face value. It's a genuine pity Gilbert died before he could finish the next volume.