The Prime Ministers: 55 Leaders, 55 Authors, 300 Years of History
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- Author：Iain Dale
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Summary
'Many of my predecessors were giants， some had feet of clay， all possessed human foibles。' - From the foreword by Boris Johnson
It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before。 The Prime Ministers， edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale， brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder， written by key figures in British politics。 From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher， this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations， failures and achievements。
It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before。 The Prime Ministers， edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale， brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder， written by key figures in British politics。 From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher， this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations， failures and achievements。
Reviews
Sebastian Palmer
，
I'm giving this book four stars， for now， as I'm only about a third of the way in at the time of posting this review。 I may return and amend this once I've finished。 I'm rating it fairly highly because I'm really enjoying reading it。 It's true that the style and quality of these many short biographical essays varies somewhat。 But， so far at least， it's all - as it might be expected to be， given the essentially monothematic subject - of a piece with itself。The book starts with Horace Walpole， who I'm giving this book four stars， for now， as I'm only about a third of the way in at the time of posting this review。 I may return and amend this once I've finished。 I'm rating it fairly highly because I'm really enjoying reading it。 It's true that the style and quality of these many short biographical essays varies somewhat。 But， so far at least， it's all - as it might be expected to be， given the essentially monothematic subject - of a piece with itself。The book starts with Horace Walpole， who historians view as the first 'first minister' we can sensibly call a 'prime minister' in a way that creates a meaningful link with the modern office。 It's a shame there isn't a glossary， to explain some of the titles， ranks， or terms， esp。 re the earlier years。 If， like me， you've encountered the term Whig countless times， but still don't know quite what it means， this book will only confuse you further。It's interesting to see how certain routes to power - Eton， Oxford/Cambridge， the Law， for example - crop up time and again， and remain tried and tested pathways to power even to the present。 It's also interesting， and comes through despite a somewhat establishment bias in the tone of the writing， to note how often the word Tory is aligned with such terms as 'reactionary'， 'illiberal' and suchlike。 So whilst the political landscape has evolved， away from hands-on Royal patronage and into 'Party Politics'， for example， other aspects remain less changed。Reading this has me reflecting on how poor my school level education was， regarding domestic history。 I think kids in a democracy such as ours should be learning all about their political leaders of the last few centuries （and beyond）， and the institutions in which they operate。 I'm no expert in this field， merely a person wishing to further educate myself。 And I'm finding this interesting and enlightening。 As I say， it's a bit fusty， and often assumes a familiarity with the subject I think many readers， or potential readers， will lack。But all things considered， I'd recommend this as a good read。 。。。more
Jacob Stelling
，
A strong collection of essays on every Prime Minister the country has had since Sir Robert Walpole， through to Boris Johnson。 The makeup of the book works heavily in its favour - with each essay being penned by a different author， what had the potential to become a very repetitive read is improved by the varied approaches and writing styles。This book， on one level， can be quite depressing。 It makes you realise how often we end up with the wrong leaders， and highlights the entrenched interests of A strong collection of essays on every Prime Minister the country has had since Sir Robert Walpole， through to Boris Johnson。 The makeup of the book works heavily in its favour - with each essay being penned by a different author， what had the potential to become a very repetitive read is improved by the varied approaches and writing styles。This book， on one level， can be quite depressing。 It makes you realise how often we end up with the wrong leaders， and highlights the entrenched interests of the establishment which have existed since modern 'democracy' began。 If you can look past this though， it is certainly an enjoyable whistle-stop tour of British political history， illuminating not only those with the title of Prime Minister， but the evolution of the office itself。 。。。more
Graham Curtis
，
Really enjoyed this。 Most chapters are fairly sympathetic to each PM， even ones who are considered poor （Douglas - Home， Callaghan， Heath）。 The turn of the century liberal reformers shed the most light for me。 From Gladstone （ surely the best PM） to Campbell - Bannerman and Asquith。 The seeds of good we all enjoy today were sown mostly by these three。It says a lot that the the most critical chapters are of Cameron and May。 Adam Boultons final paragraph on Cameron is very damming。Completed to ear Really enjoyed this。 Most chapters are fairly sympathetic to each PM， even ones who are considered poor （Douglas - Home， Callaghan， Heath）。 The turn of the century liberal reformers shed the most light for me。 From Gladstone （ surely the best PM） to Campbell - Bannerman and Asquith。 The seeds of good we all enjoy today were sown mostly by these three。It says a lot that the the most critical chapters are of Cameron and May。 Adam Boultons final paragraph on Cameron is very damming。Completed to early for a full assessment of Johnson but surely complete the worst trio this country has ever seen。 。。。more
Leon Freeman
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A very well written collection of essays on each of the 53 Men and 2 Women who became Prime Minister。 Each essay is written by a different author， ranging from historians， to politicians， to academics， to journalists - because who could actually be an expert on all of them？The first chapter cautiously explains the role of PM， it’s history and number 10， before explaining the two major themes that connect all PMs- how they got there， and how they survived… and mostly， it’s down to luck！ Each chap A very well written collection of essays on each of the 53 Men and 2 Women who became Prime Minister。 Each essay is written by a different author， ranging from historians， to politicians， to academics， to journalists - because who could actually be an expert on all of them？The first chapter cautiously explains the role of PM， it’s history and number 10， before explaining the two major themes that connect all PMs- how they got there， and how they survived… and mostly， it’s down to luck！ Each chapter begins with a breakdown of the personal history of each PM， including their length of service， alongside a personal favourite quote of each PM: among them the renowned “the lady’s not for turning” or “Brexit means Brexit！”; but also “Bobs your uncle” and “I’ve climbed the greasy pole”！Each author is naturally a tad biased to their chosen PM， but often delve into the negative traits of each candidate- whether it’s Thatcher’s forcefulness， May’s incompetence， or Eden’s weakness… so in the end you get a pretty balanced picture。 On hindsight， it’s obvious why this book was named Parliamentary Book of the Year！ 。。。more
Andy Regan
，
The 55 essays provide an outstanding insight into the personalities， challenges， successes and – all too often – failures in grabbing that top job in politics。 Guidelines for the authors included not being afraid to give an opinion， which the best of the profiles certainly fulfil。As Iain Dale summarises， a huge dollop of luck and timing dictates who reaches No 10。 Without John Smith’s heart attack， there may have been no New Labour。 Had Callaghan taken an earlier opportunity to call an election， The 55 essays provide an outstanding insight into the personalities， challenges， successes and – all too often – failures in grabbing that top job in politics。 Guidelines for the authors included not being afraid to give an opinion， which the best of the profiles certainly fulfil。As Iain Dale summarises， a huge dollop of luck and timing dictates who reaches No 10。 Without John Smith’s heart attack， there may have been no New Labour。 Had Callaghan taken an earlier opportunity to call an election， Thatcherism may not have got off the ground。The twisting， chameleon-like monolith that is the Conservative Party really did stand for no change – or the minimum possible – during much of the 19th century。 It’s interesting to speculate if the current version of the Party would be as electorally successful if the manifesto was filled with blank pages and a do nothing attitude。 All parties – and leaders – are now expected to exist in a swirl of action and self-trumpeted achievement。 Adam Boulton’s rather damning conclusion of Cameron – wasted years that enhanced division – could equally have been charged at many from the Victorian era。 To be fair， fear of revolution being imported across the Channel appears to have dominated much of the political agenda here until at least midway through that century。Recipes for success？ Be lucky certainly but also possess a sense of vision that fits the times， depend - or rather be able to rely - on heavy weight Cabinet members; have the strength of character to see the vision through。 And a big enough Parliamentary majority to act， for that matter。Best name？ Marquess of Rockingham， surely straight out of Blackadder。 。。。more
Steve
，
I actually listened to the audiobook of this title， but couldn't find that edition on GR。 I came to this book via Iain Dale's podcast that goes along with this book， in which he interviews the authors of all the essays in the book。 I really like the podcast， which is still working its way through the author list and will conclude this year。 Mr。 Dale has followed up with this project with a book and podcast on the American Presidents， which I will follow as soon as it becomes available。 On the wh I actually listened to the audiobook of this title， but couldn't find that edition on GR。 I came to this book via Iain Dale's podcast that goes along with this book， in which he interviews the authors of all the essays in the book。 I really like the podcast， which is still working its way through the author list and will conclude this year。 Mr。 Dale has followed up with this project with a book and podcast on the American Presidents， which I will follow as soon as it becomes available。 On the whole I commend both the book and the podcast。 With so many different authors， and with the essays of varying quality， the overall book does not quite come up to five stars in my view （although the podcast does！）。 So I can only in good conscience give it four stars。 Yet for that， it is still an outstanding and useful work for anyone with any political interests at all。 There is value in having an overall treatment of so many leaders， even if each essay is necessarily brief and incomplete。 Also， there is value in reading comparative politics。 As an American， I have always followed British politics because of both the similarities and differences between this country and Britain， and because these two countries are the heavyweights of the "anglosphere"。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Daniel
，
Excellent first half。 Awful final thirdFirst part of the book excellent bite-size biographies of past Prime Ministers。Final third （from around Asquith onwards） dreadful hagiography。 Dispassionate historiography forgotten， the biographies are written by partisan sycophants。 I would give the first 60% 5 stars， but the awful conclusion to the book means I cannot overall give it higher than 3。
Rose
，
This book was a bit of a mixed bag。 Partly that's because with 55 essays by 55 authors， there's bound to be some sections that appeal more than others， but also because it covers such a broad period of time， from history stretching back several hundred years to present， the nature and tone of the book shifts。The one thing that bothered me throughout is that many of the writers seem to have taken the editors assurance that they're free to an express an opinion as a pass to pursue an agenda。 I wou This book was a bit of a mixed bag。 Partly that's because with 55 essays by 55 authors， there's bound to be some sections that appeal more than others， but also because it covers such a broad period of time， from history stretching back several hundred years to present， the nature and tone of the book shifts。The one thing that bothered me throughout is that many of the writers seem to have taken the editors assurance that they're free to an express an opinion as a pass to pursue an agenda。 I wouldn't trust someone writing about politics or history if they insisted they were totally neutral and objective， but I would expect researchers to offer views based on the evidence they're presenting to the audience， and at least acknowledge the possibility of alternative takes。 Some of the writers did this， but others seemed to bend over backwards to present their favoured leader in the rosiest possible light。 This struck me most in the Thatcher essay， where several of her highly controversial policies were described as successes， not because of the affect they had on the country and the people living in it， but just because she managed to get them enacted。 Perhaps I have different criteria for the success of a policy， but to me evaluating how well a political action has gone involves looking at what it's done to people， not just whether or not it got through parliament。On the other hand， a lot of the essays did a good job of getting across the nuances of the opinions and policies of the leaders， rather than offering a simple right/left divide， and slotting each leader neatly into one of the two categories。 That was probably the books best quality。The nature of the book - a collection of essays - did made for a slightly odd reading experience， as writers discussing overlapping time periods sometimes either diverged wildly from each other （so it was hard to see that they were actually talking about the same time period）， or were eerily repetitive （so there was a strange sense of de ja vu as you read a phrase close to one you'd come across not long before。 Furthermore， the feel of the book changed a lot over the course of its 500+ pages。 The earlier prime ministers got very different treatment to the most recent ones; most of the problems they faced were settled for better of for worse a long time ago， so there isn't the same emotive controversy about them， and there's a lot more space to pass judgement on the long term consequences of what they did （or didn't do）。 Entries on the more recent leaders were in some ways more judgemental， but also more involved。 I'm glad I read this， even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting （I was hoping for more on the policies pursued by each leader and their cabinet， but the focus tended to be more on leadership style）。 It brought home the alarming and depressing fact that many of the nations leaders have been extremely self-interested。 Nevertheless， it also had the positive effect of reminding me that the political landscape can shift dramatically， and that it is conceivable for a Prime Minister to be a relatively decent person with good intentions， whose flaws might be outweighed by their good qualities。 If we're lucky。 。。。more
Zachary Barker
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I have finished reading “The Prime Ministers: 55 leaders， 55 authors， 300 years of history” by Iain Dale。Where did the role of Prime Minister come from？ Like much of what occurs in British political history， the role just emerged out of necessity， and then was formalised later in legislation。 It was only later in the 20th century when much of it’s authority was explicitly stated， and then there may yet be more we are not aware of。 Robert Walpole was the first Prime Minister， a tour de force in m I have finished reading “The Prime Ministers: 55 leaders， 55 authors， 300 years of history” by Iain Dale。Where did the role of Prime Minister come from？ Like much of what occurs in British political history， the role just emerged out of necessity， and then was formalised later in legislation。 It was only later in the 20th century when much of it’s authority was explicitly stated， and then there may yet be more we are not aware of。 Robert Walpole was the first Prime Minister， a tour de force in managing to keep the state solvent， the monarch happy and the newly united （with Scotland） British state out of war。 After Robert Walpole left the role the habit stuck （and 10 Downing Street was given to him by the king）， a succession of Prime Ministers followed， each doing their bit to define the role。The stories of the office holders are as interesting in terms of their similarities as much as their differences。 The unique personalities of the office holder brought a certain flavour to the job， mixed in with the personal chemistry of the cabinet， which depending on the mix can be productive or explosive。 Each PM had their own organisational and decision-making processes。 Some of the PM’s different ways of operating complimented the cabinet， while others drove them to distraction。A running theme among PMs throughout history has been confronting the question; “how to manage change？” Change was inevitable。 Monarchs came and went with different expectations on their PM and their constitutional responsibilities。 War and peace came and went bringing new challenges。 But as all of this happened Britain as a country grew up demanding more from their politicians。 The pendulum between reformist and conservative swung between wanting to encourage the momentum towards greater freedom or manage it。 In many ways this is how Robert Peel created the prototype for blue collar conservatism; provide greater economic opportunity for the masses to lessen concerns about freedom。What determined who the best PM’s were？ It was a combination of factors including luck， particularly with regards to events。 Jim Callaghan for instance had a vision for turning the UK into a Scandinavian state Oil driven balanced model between government， the trade unions and business。 But personality helped or hindered too。 Theresa May was too much of a loner to have a power base or sense the lack of confidence of her own cabinet in her。 The Earl of Roseberry was too highly strung for his office and hostile to his cabinet。Overall， I enjoyed this book。 The way the book was structured （as it says in the title） in an intriguing way。 However， I found some of the different authors’ accounts more balanced than others。 While some were informative and balanced， others were slightly cringeworthy in their praise and lacking in criticism。 Given the author， many though not all， of the authors came from a right wing background。 That said every one of them was informative and most did well to paint a picture of the country during the various historical settings。 The moving picture of a country and it’s people growing up， becoming more developed and clamouring for freedom and opportunities was a gripping one。 Early PMs were concerned with mainly 3 issues; keeping the monarch happy and in check， keeping the state solvent and declaring or resolving war。 This grew to actually force PM’s to actually step into the lives of their citizens。 Only the march of democracy made this possible。Iain Dale will be releasing a similar book in November about US Presidents。 You can bet that I will be reading that too。Key PM skills and qualities。-Ability to build an effective team and manage personalities to the right jobs （eg Attlee and to an extent the early 20th century liberal PMs）-Resolving grudges or not starting them （Palmerston and Russell as well as Churchill）。-Forging long term strategic political visions （Peel， Thatcher， Blair）-Compassion and courage （Campbell-Bannerman and Attlee）。-Ability to take calculated risks （Lloyd George and Major）。 。。。more
Stewart Cotterill
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book has been put together by the broadcaster Iain Dale。 It is a book of 55 essays concerning the 55 Prime Ministers this country has had since the first emerged in the form of Sir Robert Walpole in the early 1700s。My reason for giving the book 4 instead of 5 stars is due to a few of the essays being less than acceptable， in my opinion。The essay on Anthony Eden for instance reads more as an elongated Wikipedia entry。 He may have been one of the most useless inhabitants of 10 Downing Street， This book has been put together by the broadcaster Iain Dale。 It is a book of 55 essays concerning the 55 Prime Ministers this country has had since the first emerged in the form of Sir Robert Walpole in the early 1700s。My reason for giving the book 4 instead of 5 stars is due to a few of the essays being less than acceptable， in my opinion。The essay on Anthony Eden for instance reads more as an elongated Wikipedia entry。 He may have been one of the most useless inhabitants of 10 Downing Street， but this doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get a fair crack of the whip。Towards the more modern Prime Ministers， the accusation of chumminess can be thrown at the authors， from John Major onwards。 The exception in these modern Prime Minister tales is the one concerning Theresa May。 The vicious （and quite correct） take down of a Prime Minister who ranks alongside Lord North， Ramsey MacDonald and the aforementioned Anthony Eden in the pantheon of worst Prime Ministers is a delight to read。 。。。more
Ian
，
I listened to the audio version of this book， although I couldn’t find that edition listed in GR and I’m not always successful at adding covers for new editions。The editor of this collection comments in the Introduction that many British people’s knowledge of their Prime Ministers begins only with Gladstone and Disraeli in the second half of the 19th century。 Some people have heard of Sir Robert Walpole or of Pitt the Younger but have very little idea of what they achieved。 Prior to reading this I listened to the audio version of this book， although I couldn’t find that edition listed in GR and I’m not always successful at adding covers for new editions。The editor of this collection comments in the Introduction that many British people’s knowledge of their Prime Ministers begins only with Gladstone and Disraeli in the second half of the 19th century。 Some people have heard of Sir Robert Walpole or of Pitt the Younger but have very little idea of what they achieved。 Prior to reading this book， that description almost perfectly fitted my own knowledge of the subject。The novelty tactic with this book is that each of the 55 PMs gets an essay written by a different author。 In some cases the essays are written by descendants of the PM in question， or in more recent cases by their friends。 There’s a twist with the essay on Spencer Perceval， the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated in office。 It’s written by Henry Bellingham， who is from the same family as the assassin。One thing that strikes the reader is how obscure most past Prime Ministers are。 Of the 55 there are only about 10， （12-15 at the most） who can be said to have left a significant legacy。 Of course， this becomes easier to assess with the passage of time。 Ten years ago， if you had asked me about Ted Heath， I’d have said his great legacy was taking Britain into the Common Market – what become the EU。 Now that the UK has left， Heath’s achievement is diminished。Most of the authors are sympathetic to their subjects。 Even Neville Chamberlain and Jim Callaghan are defended to a degree， although most people consider them to have been failures as Prime Minister。 A few do get a critical assessment， notably Anthony Eden， David Cameron and Theresa May。 There are lively essays on some of the big guns such as Gladstone， Disraeli， and Churchill， and I thought the piece on Harold Wilson， written by current Labour MP Rachel Reeves， was one of the most thoughtful。 The number of individuals covered means that the reader doesn’t get an in-depth biography of anyone， but you do get an understanding of the achievements， or otherwise， of some of our lesser-known PMs。 One of the liveliest essays was on the unfortunate Viscount Goderich （PM 1827-28）。 His home was once attacked by a London mob who broke down his front door and smashed up his furniture and possessions。 In Parliament he broke down in tears when describing how the attack had affected his wife and children， and this performance earned him the nickname of “The Great Blubberer”。With the 18th and 19th century PMs， I largely accepted the assessments provided by the authors。 As the book moved into the 20th century I found myself disagreeing more， simply because I had some background knowledge of my own to go on。 I didn’t mind that though – I was never going to agree with everything in the book。Iain Dale reads the audio version himself， but you could tell he isn’t a professional on audio。 He sometimes stumbles over words， and he had some problems with pronouncing Welsh and Scottish place names。 In terms of the content though， I really enjoyed the book。 Obviously it’s only really for those with an interest in British political history。 。。。more
Michael Macdonald
，
Excellent pen portraits of the 55Taught， pithy descriptions of the great， the awful and the also-ran。 This is a delightful book with various experts arguing the case for their man and Mrs Thatcher。 Controversial and thought provoking， this is political journalism at its best。
Michael O'Reilly
，
The benchmark for success as a Socialist Political Leader is evident in the Chapter 42 on Clement Attlee （1945 - 1951） by Sir Anthony Seldon。According to the author:“Clement Attlee was the most successful prime minister domestically of all fifty-five discussed in this volume”“Specifically， no other Labour prime minister in history comes close to his achievement”。“he oversaw the most socialist government in British History”。“A shy and retiring man without personal charisma and intellectual curios The benchmark for success as a Socialist Political Leader is evident in the Chapter 42 on Clement Attlee （1945 - 1951） by Sir Anthony Seldon。According to the author:“Clement Attlee was the most successful prime minister domestically of all fifty-five discussed in this volume”“Specifically， no other Labour prime minister in history comes close to his achievement”。“he oversaw the most socialist government in British History”。“A shy and retiring man without personal charisma and intellectual curiosity， he possessed no detailed grasp of foreign or economic policy”“Attlee’s personal qualities lay at the heart of the success of the government”。“More than any other Labour leader， he had an instinctive trust in his civil servants”“Despite being no orator， he was surprisingly effective in the House of Commons”“ the media saw him at his worst， where his flat voice， lacking any animation， and his absence of small talk counted against him”。“ Attlee created modern Britain。 His unique qualities coupled with other factors discussed in this chapter， explain why he was so successful。So in summary， to be a successful Socialist political leader， you should be dull intellectually and lack personality， poor public speaker but outsourced government administration to unelected civil servants and other politicians and will considered historically as an outstanding success。 Now that is something to aim for in any budding politically left politican。 。。。more
Thomas Kus
，
This is a remarkable and surprisingly entertaining collection of brief summaries of the 55 UK Prime Ministers up to Boris Johnson in mid 2020。 Rather than reading lengthy biographies it follows a basic template of summarising the life and political achievements （or not） of these political leaders and how they have shaped British history。 Highly recommended。
Alastair Savin
，
Whilst the quality of the essays does vary a bit I did learn a ton and now have got the list in my head。 This was my main goal when I picked up this book。 My favourite two prime ministers that I enjoyed reading about were Spencer Perceval and Robert Peel， I really admired their principles and they willingness to take massive amounts of political damage to do the right thing。
Richard
，
A series of essays about the 55 Prime Ministers from Walpole to the current day。 As each PM is covered by a different author， the style changes and so does the quality。 I think that it is fair to say that the majority of the essays are written by people with a positive view of the relevant incumbent， and so the positive is emphasised。 Boris Johnson （essay written by Iain Dale himself） is described as "the most intellectually capable Prime Minister Britain has seen"， with well-documented missteps A series of essays about the 55 Prime Ministers from Walpole to the current day。 As each PM is covered by a different author， the style changes and so does the quality。 I think that it is fair to say that the majority of the essays are written by people with a positive view of the relevant incumbent， and so the positive is emphasised。 Boris Johnson （essay written by Iain Dale himself） is described as "the most intellectually capable Prime Minister Britain has seen"， with well-documented missteps in the Covid response being dismissed as the "Government's" rather than Johnson's。 It is safe to say that there are some heavily rose-tinted spectacles in use here。This positivity is not one-sided， Blair is described as a "Genius" by Andrew Adonis， and it is not ubiquitous - Rachel Sylvester's essay on May is not glowing， so I don't think that the overall book is biased。 Each essay should， however， be read with some scepticism。The book is， however， a really good first reference point and tells us something about people who have held the highest political office in the land， even if we haven't heard of them。 。。。more
Jamie
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Didn't finish。 Dull。 Didn't finish。 Dull。 。。。more
Emily Ross
，
I thought this was a pretty decent overall biography of the Prime Ministers of the UK。 There was a short biography of each Prime Minister， giving an overview of each one in turn。 As each chapter was written by a different author （with a note given to say even if the chapters are written by relatives， it by no means lessens the contribution。 After being told that， I found myself wanting to know how many of the authors were actually related to their topics， but the one that I recognised the most w I thought this was a pretty decent overall biography of the Prime Ministers of the UK。 There was a short biography of each Prime Minister， giving an overview of each one in turn。 As each chapter was written by a different author （with a note given to say even if the chapters are written by relatives， it by no means lessens the contribution。 After being told that， I found myself wanting to know how many of the authors were actually related to their topics， but the one that I recognised the most was that the author who wrote the chapter on Spencer Perceval was related to the man who assassinated him） the quality was not as consistent as I’d have liked。 For instance， the author of Gladstone’s chapter clearly detested Queen Victoria， and continually called her stupid and beneath Gladstone’s level whereas she was not as hated by the author of Disraeli’s chapter。 I did really appreciate the length of the chapters， as it allowed for the perfect walk length for my dog。 。。。more
Gary B Thompson
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Amazing PrimesThis is an excellent book overall， showing the great variety of Prime Ministers we've enjoyed or endured for nearly three hundred years。 It is easy to read and it's bite size nature is easy to drop in or out of。 The only issue I have is that towards the newer Prime Minister's， we see either hagiographies or hatchet jobs。 Just the facts would do when reading about recent people。 Other than that， thoroughly enjoyable and informative。 Amazing PrimesThis is an excellent book overall， showing the great variety of Prime Ministers we've enjoyed or endured for nearly three hundred years。 It is easy to read and it's bite size nature is easy to drop in or out of。 The only issue I have is that towards the newer Prime Minister's， we see either hagiographies or hatchet jobs。 Just the facts would do when reading about recent people。 Other than that， thoroughly enjoyable and informative。 。。。more
Jeshni
，
Interesting book that details the evolution of politics in the UK。 Not necessarily an easy read as each chapter is written by a different author so the quality and style vary drastically。 What struck me is how leadership （and being able to cling to it） is finally a strange mixture of competence， likeability， circumstances， luck， perseverance， political manoeuvring and keeping a rein on one’s own ego and megalomania。And interestingly none were very good at it for long 😅
Lewis Virgo
，
The Prime Ministers was an good， fun and interesting read that is suited for both British political enthusiasts and novices a like。 The book is full of facts and covers the premierships well enough。 I learned the most about many of our pre 1945 leaders and the times they governed in。 This book is essentially a series of essays on the 55 men and women who have held the office by 55 different authors。 The strength of this is that the writers vary and so do the chapters in style， substance and it r The Prime Ministers was an good， fun and interesting read that is suited for both British political enthusiasts and novices a like。 The book is full of facts and covers the premierships well enough。 I learned the most about many of our pre 1945 leaders and the times they governed in。 This book is essentially a series of essays on the 55 men and women who have held the office by 55 different authors。 The strength of this is that the writers vary and so do the chapters in style， substance and it remains fresh。 But this strength is also its greatest weakness with many chapters being noticeably weaker than others。 The weakest ones tend to be politicians with the notable exception of David Laws on Asquith。 Whilst the academics chapters tend to be the best written and the journalists somewhere in the middle， with the exception of David Cameron by Adam Boulton which was particularly bad and was not covered well。 The other weakness is that these chapters only really scratch the surface of each leader and there is so much more that could be written。 Of course， this book is not meant to be a detailed account of each but an overview so this can be forgiven。 The book really gets good once you get to Robert Peel and onwards it remains very strong but it can be a slog to get to there。 This may be a good book for a reader to jump into individual chapters of the prime ministers that interest them or want to learn more about。 Compared to how this reviewer read it - front to back。 Overall this is a solid book that covers our countries leaders well and I would recommend this to others but would also suggest further reading should follow it up。 。。。more
David Killington
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This is such an absorbing read; it's hard to put down once you start but， equally， it's an excellent book to dip in and out of。It really does underline the fact that we never stop learning; I believed I was very familiar with the Prime Ministers of my lifetime， but so much more than I already knew was revealed here。The book does what all books should do: it makes me hungry for more。Thank you， Mr Dale。 This is such an absorbing read; it's hard to put down once you start but， equally， it's an excellent book to dip in and out of。It really does underline the fact that we never stop learning; I believed I was very familiar with the Prime Ministers of my lifetime， but so much more than I already knew was revealed here。The book does what all books should do: it makes me hungry for more。Thank you， Mr Dale。 。。。more
Paul Bryant
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There are some funny examples of the Peter Principle at work here – this is where a person is very good at their various jobs in an organisation but is finally promoted to the job they can’t do。 We just lived through the three gruesome years of Theresa May， Queen Midas in Reverse， and you had to ask yourself， as she was continually presented with betrayals and treacheries and calamities and situations she could not rise to why on earth did she want that job in the first place？ For her it was a v There are some funny examples of the Peter Principle at work here – this is where a person is very good at their various jobs in an organisation but is finally promoted to the job they can’t do。 We just lived through the three gruesome years of Theresa May， Queen Midas in Reverse， and you had to ask yourself， as she was continually presented with betrayals and treacheries and calamities and situations she could not rise to why on earth did she want that job in the first place？ For her it was a vale of suffering and tears。 In British history there are so many famous names that I know almost nothing about so this was a great one stop shop for some of them。 Who was William Pitt The Younger？ Well， he became prime minister at the age of 24 – imagine that！ And he was good at it too。Some PMs were there for the best part of a decade like John Major but were thought of as continually failing the entire time。 Some were immediately crushed by events beyond their control （Gordon Brown with the 2008 financial meltdown， Neville Chamberlain with Hitler）。 Some began as universally beloved and made a single disastrous decision and became universally detested （Tony Blair）。 Some were cosy and reassuring （Harold Macmillan） and some were screechy and turbulent （David Lloyd George）。 Some were modesty itelf and some were flat-out egomaniacs， such as the only novelist to have become prime minister， Benjamin Disraeli （“I am one of those to whom a moderate reputation can give no pleasure。”）Most people I think will pick Churchill as the GOAT but I rather think William Gladstone was the GOAT :Yes， it’s true he would encounter prostitutes in the London streets and take them back to Downing Street to convert them to Christianity and the respectable life， and yes it’s true that when he felt he was tempted by their voluptuous charms he flagellated himself on occasion， but let’s put that to one side。 He set up employment exchanges for dock workers to stop the gross exploitation by the shipping companies; he organised the new railway network ensuring cheap fares for all and making the new technology of the telegraph run alongside the train tracks; he scrapped ancient laws which kept basic foodstuffs artificially expensive， and this turbocharged the whole economy; he campaigned to extend the vote to the working class; all of this was before he became PM; then， he provided free education for all children up to the age of 12; he abolished the sale of army commissions， replacing patronage with meritocracy; he introduced the secret ballot in all elections; he supported the London dock strike of 1889 when he was back in opposition （aged 77）; he began a campaign for state funded old age pensions; he fought the 1892 election at age 83 and won （take that Joe Biden） and so had a 4th time as prime minister）。 He was an old man in a hurry。 Although it feels not a little uncomfortable to endorse a volume with a foreword written by Boris Johnson， I must say this is a lot of historical nerdy fun。My unlikely hero 。。。more
Nick Harriss
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An excellent book that is a series of essays about every holder of the Prime Minister's office in the UK。 While I was familiar already with many of the better known holders of the office， this book was hugely enlightening on the lesser known ones。 An excellent book that is a series of essays about every holder of the Prime Minister's office in the UK。 While I was familiar already with many of the better known holders of the office， this book was hugely enlightening on the lesser known ones。 。。。more
John Willis
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Really interesting though with so many authors some are better than others。 Great reference book。
Peter Blake
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Recommended for pub quizzers over people who have a keen interest in political history。Less than 10 pages given for each Prime Minister which vary in quality depending on the author （Adonis on Blair is as groveling as you might suspect）。 Will stay on my shelves as a handy reference book。
Hilay Hopkins
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To be fair， I haven’t really finished this book。 I started with the intention of reading from cover to cover， but got pretty bogged down with the all the Earls and Lords。 I’ve decided it’s the sort of book to dip into when the mood takes me。 Some sections are more interesting and well put together than others。 Some of the authors assume a great deal about historical knowledge and I had Google quite a bit。 Eg Seven years war， the Battle of Minorca。
Emma Dargue
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Interesting series of essays about the 55 individuals that have held the post of Prime Minister within Great British history from Robert Walpole to Boris Johnson。 The interesting twist with this book is each entry is written by a different writer some of who have familial ties than other writers who openly critisise the subject of their essay especially the most recent individuals such as Blair， Brown， Cameron and May。
Jeff Chalker
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More of a reference book， although I read it sequentially。 The mini-biographies vary in quality and depend on the author。 Nevertheless it puts some colour and definition on the many 18th century prime ministers you may have heard of but know nothing about。It was striking to see which issues dominated politics in past centuries。 The top issues which made and broke governments were electoral reform， free trade， catholic rights and home rule。 Of these， only free trade （in the form of Brexit） would More of a reference book， although I read it sequentially。 The mini-biographies vary in quality and depend on the author。 Nevertheless it puts some colour and definition on the many 18th century prime ministers you may have heard of but know nothing about。It was striking to see which issues dominated politics in past centuries。 The top issues which made and broke governments were electoral reform， free trade， catholic rights and home rule。 Of these， only free trade （in the form of Brexit） would get a showing today。 。。。more
Gary Clark
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