Liberal Lion: Jo Grimond, A Political Life
Publishing Details
Liberal Lion: Jo Grimond, A Political Life
By (Author) Peter Barberis
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
I.B. Tauris
30th January 2005
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
European history
941.085092
Physical Properties
272
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
Description
Jo Grimond, leader of the Liberal Party from 1956 - 1967, was a key player in British politics for over four decades. On his death in 1993, Paddy Ashdown paid tribute to Grimond as a "lion of the liberal cause". His numerous writings and his ten-year leadership of the Liberal party established him as one of the most influential figures in its history. Peter Barberis has produced a unique critical biography of this enigmatic figure based upon a careful examination of speeches, writings and archive material. He explores Grimond's ideas, politics and family environment to shed light on his life and the apparent contradictions in his thought. The book offers the reader valuable insights into the changing character of British politics and society from the Second World War to the age of Thatcherism.
Reviews
New Statesman, review by David Steel (leader of the Liberal Party between 1976-1988): "thoroughly researched political assessment." "Barberis reveals much about his earlier life of which I was ignorant." "Barberis clarifies for a younger generation just how visionary Grimond was." "What Barberis captures well is Grimond's extraordinary life"; London Review of Books, 5th May 2005. Review by Peter Clarke; "A well researched account of Grimond's career, presenting a sympathetic view of him while not flinching from asking some awkward questions, though generally on matters that would be regarded as tactical rather than strategic. It doesn't openly proclaim a big-L-Liberal allegiance but its small-l-liberal perspective is manifest throughout."
Author Bio
Peter Barberis is Professor of Politics at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he teaches British politics and contemporary British political history. He is the author of The Elite of the Elite: Permanent Secretaries in the British Higher Civil Service; and co-author of Government, Industry and Political Economy and Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century British and Irish Political Organisations.
