EDEN: THE MAKING OF A STATESMAN

by Alan Campbell-Johnson ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 20, 1955

A careful record accounts for the career rather than the man, and with only passing mention of the personal incidents in Eden's life (his marriage, the death of his son, his illnesses, etc.) keeps a close watch on his stance- and significance- as a statesman. From an old family which in 1742 established an Eden tradition in the field of social reform and foreign affairs, Robert Anthony was to carry on this lineage and combine it with a practical idealism. The ""quiet one"" at home, his schooling at Eton and Oxford where he acquitted himself well, if without distinction, was followed by the war, and his entry into politics. His Parliamentary rise was affirmed when he became ide to Sir Austen, and the recapitulation here of his campaigns, speeches, and the issues with which he dealt through the long years of service reveal a sound negotiator if unoriginal orator-""penny plain speaking"". Through the troubled times of disarmament and appeasement, Eden was to face his crisis- and disillusion-in 1936 over the League, and was sacrificed to ""Baldwin's double thinking and to Chamberlain's single aim"". Brought back to the responsibility of office under Churchill through the war years, the post-war years were to show that he was not conservative enough for the Tories, but his popularity still continued-reached its height with his election as Prime Minister after the Churchill resignation. For those who follow foreign affairs in closer detail, a record which reveals the enduring virtues and firm capabilities of an important figure.

Pub Date: July 20, 1955

ISBN: 1406764515

Page Count: -

Publisher: Ives Washburn

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1955

Categories: NONFICTION