Disraeli: A Brief Life (British Lives S.) [Hardcover]

Paul Smith (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521381509 | ISBN-13: 978-0521381505 | Publication Date: November 30, 1996 | Edition: First edition.

This concise study of Benjamin Disraeli (1804-81) focuses on the substantial reassessment of Disraeli's career and personality that is currently taking place. Particular reference is made to the role played in Disraeli's conception of life and politics by his Jewishness and his romanticism. The book also seeks to understand Disraeli in a European as well as a British frame of thought. These new elements are set alongside all the principal biographical features of Disraeli's life and career. This "brief life" can therefore be read both as a standard, up-to-date biography of one of the greatest statesmen of the later Victorian age and as a reinterpretation of key aspects of Disraeli's life and times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Witty, well written, and perceptive, this is a valuable short take on the greatest Tory prime minister of the 19th century." P. Stansky, Choice

"A strength of Smith's book,...lies in its imposition of some order on Disraeli's otherwise chaotic early life. Smith's biography is a notable addition to the literature, written with a consistent verve and occasional verbosity entirely appropriate to its subject. ...it successfully extends the work of reclamation undertaken nearly a decade ago by John Vincent." Frans Coetzee, Albion

Book Description

This concise study of Disraeli, aimed at the general reader as much as at the student, stands in contrast to the many full-length studies which continue to appear. It focuses on the substantial reassessment of Disraeli's career and personality which is currently taking place. Particular reference is made to the role played in Disraeli's conception of life and politics by his Jewishness and his romanticism. The book also seeks to understand Disraeli in a European as well as a British frame of thought.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; First edition. edition (November 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521381509
• ISBN-13: 978-0521381505
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,900,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Too Brief Biography, May 19, 2001

By 

Yaakov Wise, MA (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disraeli: A Brief Life (Canto original series) (Paperback)

Paul Smith attempts the impossible - to write a brief life - of the complex, remarkable and enigmatic Jewish politician and author Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield. Smith almost pulls it off but another 50 or so pages would have given him much more scope to portray Disraeli's major contributions to the politics of identity, social and political reform and the recognition of the inevitability of working class emancipation. Smith allows his fascination with Dizzy's Jewishness and "outsider" status to overwhelm the other facets of his character and beliefs. Part of Dizzy's greatness as a politician was the ability to simultaneously portray himself as the ultimate outsider and the loyal, patriotic "insider." Until the election of Ramsey MacDonald as the first Labour Prime Minister in the 1920s, Disraeli stands alone as the most unlikely Prime Minister Britain ever had. Smith's book includes some good quotes from commentators such as Gladstone and Michael Foot. A book deserving a fuller treatment in its second edition but still a very useful introduction to its subject for young students of 19th century history.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great, October 6, 2004

By 

Bismarck (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disraeli: A Brief Life (Canto original series) (Paperback)

Overall, this brief biography offers an interesting portrait of a commanding political figure of the Victorian era. In order to fully appreciate Smith's rendition, however, one should become acquainted with (if not actually reading) Disraeli's novels, as his writing seems to be Smith's point of departure, and frequent point of reference in telling the story of Disraeli's life. I, for one, was less interested in linking the biographical themes in Disraeli's novels to his life's events, and more interested in capturing the essence of the epoch, with more detail and attention paid to the political developments of Disraeli's age.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disraeli: A Brief Life, September 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Disraeli: A Brief Life (Canto original series) (Paperback)

This is written for a british school person taking his or her O and or A levels. It is an enjoyeable read which put Disraeli in a comptempary historical view point. Yes, the Author actually compares Disraeli and his government to the tories of the 80's under the iron rule of Thatcher.