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Andrew Roberts

The Holy Fox: The Life of Lord Halifax Hardcover – April 1, 2014

by Andrew Roberts (Author)

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From the author of The Storm of War comes an acclaimed biography of one of the most influential and controversial British politicians of the 1930s

A fox-hunting Anglo-Catholic aristocrat, nicknamed "The Holy Fox" by Churchill for his political guile, Halifax was one of the most prominent Tory politicians of the interwar period. As Viceroy of India, he struck a deal with Gandhi that ended the before the infamous Munich agreement, he demanded "the destruction of Nazism." By May 1940, for many it was Halifax, not Churchill, who was the natural choice for Britain's war leader. Andrew Roberts’ acclaimed biography draws on private documents to offer a nuanced reappraisal of an enigmatic, influential, and much-maligned politician.

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Head of Zeus
Publication date

April 1, 2014
Dimensions

5.79 x 1.65 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1781856974
ISBN-13

978-1781856970
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew Roberts is a prize-winning historian, journalist, and broadcaster. His books include Masters and Commanders and The Storm of War. He writes regularly for the Wall Street Journal and the Daily Beast, and he lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Head of Zeus (April 1, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1781856974
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781856970
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.78 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.79 x 1.65 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,706,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #859 in WWI Biographies
- #4,677 in World War I History (Books)

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63 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

63 global ratings

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k.s.bajpai

Excellent rescue of a much-maligned statesman-he had his faults and ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2014

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Excellent rescue of a much-maligned statesman-he had his faults and errors, but less than most in the business-he also deserves credit for a service rendered almost unnoticed- his intervention saved the Indian Independence Bill from the neanderthals in the House of Lords, making possible a civility in an otherwise painful end. Roberts brings him to life-perhaps more vividly than I remember him.Biography at its best and historical revisionism at its most convincing.

8 people found this helpful

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George Salaita

perfect

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 15, 2019

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excellent for UK lovers

One person found this helpful

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RPT

Giving "The Holy Fox" His Proper Place in British History

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 26, 2021

This book is an excellent reappraisal of Edward Wood, Viscount Halifax, by Andrew Roberts (who is increasingly the master of British historical biography). Born to privilege (though handicapped at birth by a missing left hand), Lord Halifax served his country well in capacities ranging from Viceroy of India to Foreign Secretary to Ambassador to the USA during WWII. While Halifax is stained by his association with the appeasement of Nazi Germany in the years before WWII, Roberts notes that after Hitler's absorption of Czechoslovakia in 1938, Halifax reversed course, realizing that Hitler and the Nazis must be defeated before peace and stability could return to Europe. After his course change, Halifax wisely counselled the British Cabinet to avoid armed conflict with Germany or Italy before Britain's air defenses and military capabilities could be improved. And in what must be among the greatest acts of humility known to any politician, declined what would have been the choice of King George VI and the ruling Conservative Party to serve as Prime Minister after Neville Chamberlain, yielding to Winston Churchill. Halifax then served as a wise, and at times, restraining influence on Churchill (who despite his towering reputation as Britain's wartime leader was often impetuous and erratic). Halifax emerges from this book not as a saint who was misunderstood, but as a capable statesman who represented prevailing opinion in Britain in the years up to WWII, but who wisely and capably helped manage Britain's effort to turn the tide against Nazi Germany. Highly recommended for those interested in reading historical biography at its best.

2 people found this helpful

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A. J. Taylor

In the Middle

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 5, 2022

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Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax is a man who should be judged by the annals of history as someone who sits in the middle. He is neither a great man, nor an evil one. He political life had some success (stopping Churchill seizing Irish ports, US ambassador work come to mind) and other blunders (shaking hands with Adolf Hitler, not improving or strengthening the army in the 1930s for example). He should not be seen as someone who was a burden to the British Government in the late 1930s and early 1940s. However, he was also not a irreplaceable asset. This gives the impression that Halifax was a non entity, minor player who sat on the sidelines. This is not my intention.

Halifax played in some major set pieces and showed great foresight on occasion. Much of what he had predicted has happened, especially with the dissolving of the British Empire and the loss of some of his estates. One can also understand the predicament of appeasement at the time, even if this policy is abhorrent to modern readers (Churchill’s greatness pulls away here and shows how important he was as British wartime leader). However, Halifax did come out of this much quicker than he is given credit for and performed one of the most noble acts in British History, giving up the premiership for Sir Winston Churchill, as he knew this was for the good of the country over his own personal interests. Much of what can be said about Halifax is that he got some things wrong and others right. He always had the best intentions though and any person of reasonable firmness can empathise with his decision making.

The book reads excellently and Andrew Roberts provides analysis, rather than giving an A-Z chronology and ending the book. The book does take the reader from cradle to the grave, but is like a thick sandwich. Life before 1938 and after 1941 it are covered relatively quickly with the bulk dedicated to those crucial months. For me there could have been more dedicated to him around this, however one might argue this is not very interesting.

Roberts is clearly a fan of Halifax and I don’t hate him. He has played a critical role in British History and provides a different viewpoint from the know ideas of WSC. He deserves to be remembered for this. However he is not a titan, but sits in the centre. A great read for anyone interested in WWII or British political history.

JV

An interesting and easily readable work to correct perceptions about an important and able historical figure

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 18, 2018

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This certainly made me reconsider by negative views (mostly picked up from public perceptions too and other books) of Halifax as the alleged arch appeaser. Plus I learned a good deal about him - not having even known he had been Viceroy in India...
This seems to be a very well balanced book bringing out the areas where Halifax deserves admiration as well as showing some irritating foibles. It was interesting to see the extent of the esteem in which he had been held especially as candidate for PM ahead of Churchill. And more importantly suggests that he did not undermine Churchill as has been elsewhere suggested.
Recently I read an interview by a British Ambassador which I commented publicly showed the Foreign Office at its appeasing worst - from Halifax the school of diplomacy. An eminent FCO stalwart remonstrated that the Halifax jibe was unfair. After reading this book, I decided my jibe was indeed unfair. To Halifax.

5 people found this helpful

F. M. Stockdale

Convincing rehabilitation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 2, 2015

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Yes. This is a readable and persuasive rehabilitation of Lord Halifax, previously maligned as an arch appeaser. But this portrait, of a relaxed but hard working statesman, has one extraordinary omission: any mention of his long and intense relationship, sanctioned by his wife, with Baba Metcalfe, the enigmatic femme fatale daughter of Lord Curzon. She was still alive when this book was first published, so a revised edition might be overdue, since this added an important further strand to the analysis of his complex character. Particularly interesting, for example, would be any evidence of comment from his contemporaries on this unexpected complication to his life and image.

7 people found this helpful

Simon

Superb

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 10, 2020

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With the wisdom of hindsight, far too many people criticise Lord Halifax for his attitude towards the crisis of the late 1930s and simply write him off as an appeaser. As this book ably shows, the reality was far more complex and Andrew Roberts paints an honest portrait of a decent but often misunderstood man who contributed greatly to the UK war effort.

Paul

A worthy read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 9, 2018

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Clearly written to put the case for Halifax. I would challenge some of the assumptions. It is also now a little dated as it was written in the 60s.
For all that however it did add to my knowledge and shows a very different political world to ours today. A world of toffs running the show and little public exposure to what is going on day to day.

One person found this helpful

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The Holy Fox: The Life of Lord Halifax Hardcover – April 1, 2014

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