Disraeli: A Personal History

Disraeli: A Personal History
Christopher Hibbert

Disraeli is one of the most fascinating men of the 19th century. This masterly biography, written by an outstanding popular historian, concentrates on his intriguing private life.Superb politician, orator, writer and wit, Benjamin Disraeli was – according to Queen Victoria – ‘the kindest Minister’ she had ever had, who ‘reached the top of the greasy pole’ despite considerable antisemitism. He enjoyed many scandalous affairs before marrying a widow twelve years older than himself – an extremely eccentric woman to whom he remained deeply and touchingly devoted for the rest of his life.Disraeli had never intended to be a politician. He had begun his astonishing career by working unenthusiastically in a lawyer’s office; he had tried unsuccessfully to found a newspaper; he had written a novel which lay unproductively in the publisher’s office. A conspicuous dandy, sprightly, attentive and witty, he was attractive to women, enjoying many liaisons until he contracted a venereal disease in a St James’s Street brothel.He married in 1839. ‘Dizzy married me for my money,’ Mary Anne used to say. ‘But, if he had the chance again, he would marry me for love.’ They lived in a large country house, Hughenden Manor, near High Wycombe, which he bought with mostly borrowed money, and soon became one of the most gifted of parliamentarians and as celebrated as any politician in England. As an antidote to his grief at his wife’s death in 1872 he threw himself back into the political life, becoming Prime Minister for the second time in 1874, displacing Gladstone much to the Queen’s delight.

Disraeli

A Personal History

Christopher Hibbert

For John Rae with affection

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#ub0202955-b2ec-5eac-957b-9d9a19f68d79)

Title Page (#ud775fd95-e4d3-5e84-803d-2c03c377da4a)

Dedication (#u897914fb-a0a8-59e3-b81c-2cd599f31fcb)

PART ONE 1804–46 (#ubfe7d661-41a0-551f-b22e-ef8198da5a1a)

1 BOYHOOD (#u8462dbd4-5582-5120-91c6-5849bc4842e2)

2 A YOUNG MAN OF HIGH FASHION (#ueb35d935-e205-5c6c-815f-71a9429fd7ad)

3 A CONTINENTAL HOLIDAY (#u519f228d-db51-51d3-a9a5-b4ab32e27c4f)

4 MENTAL BREAKDOWN (#u68805bdc-84dd-582f-9ca3-231fa1c835a7)

5 TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES (#u74a5d2ad-5087-53a4-b62f-a6498ca2f357)

6 ‘THE JEW D’ESPRIT’ (#u17931448-d169-55c0-9ba0-728fc6c5d2d0)

7 THE CANDIDATE (#uf60435a4-8233-5e0f-8b87-47a1c0b33c6f)

8 AFFAIRS (#u2e1499bb-e6d9-5f23-b92a-de9f72e18a01)

9 THE REFORMING TORY (#u23a01800-0507-55da-97d5-d969b70c8c25)

10 DEBTS AND DUNS (#u1229d5a3-3e45-5fcc-8c97-117f979037fd)

11 THE MEMBER FOR MAIDSTONE (#litres_trial_promo)

12 ‘MOST BRILLIANT AND TRIUMPHANT SPEECHES’ (#litres_trial_promo)

13 ‘A PRETTY LITTLE WOMAN, A FLIRT AND A RATTLE’ (#litres_trial_promo)

14 A TROUBLED COURTSHIP (#litres_trial_promo)

15 A HAPPY MARRIAGE (#litres_trial_promo)

16 THE BRILLIANT ORATOR (#litres_trial_promo)

17 YOUNG ENGLAND (#litres_trial_promo)

18 CONINGSBY AND SYBIL (#litres_trial_promo)

19 DAMNING ATTACKS (#litres_trial_promo)

20 TANCRED (#litres_trial_promo)

PART TWO 1846–81 (#litres_trial_promo)

21 THE JOCKEY AND THE JEW (#litres_trial_promo)

22 THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN (#litres_trial_promo)

23 THE CHANCELLOR (#litres_trial_promo)

24 MARITAL DIFFICULTIES (#litres_trial_promo)

25 BALLS AND BANQUETS (#litres_trial_promo)

26 VISITS AND VISITORS (#litres_trial_promo)

27 FÊTES AND FOLLIES (#litres_trial_promo)

28 DISTINGUISHED PERSONS AND PRIVATE SECRETARIES (#litres_trial_promo)

29 THE ‘POTENT WIZARD’ (#litres_trial_promo)

30 A GUEST AT BALMORAL AND OSBORNE (#litres_trial_promo)

31 MINISTER IN ATTENDANCE (#litres_trial_promo)

32 THE WIDOWER (#litres_trial_promo)

33 FEMALE FRIENDS (#litres_trial_promo)

34 PRIME MINISTER AGAIN (#litres_trial_promo)

35 TROUBLES AT COURT (#litres_trial_promo)

36 EARL OF BEACONSFIELD AND VISCOUNT HUGHENDEN OF HUGHENDEN (#litres_trial_promo)

37 BERLIN (#litres_trial_promo)

38 THE ‘GUARDIAN ANGEL’ (#litres_trial_promo)