Benjamin Disraeli Letters, 1857-1859

When we last saw Disraeli (1804-1901), in December 1856, the Derby Conservatives had been four years out of office, and he could muster only restrained optimism. Here he finds a new sense of purpose as the 1850s close, a new sense of moving into a new era and taking British politics with him. The 670 letters, of which 457 have never been published before, follow him from opposition in 1857 through a resurgence of vigor and resolution that culminated in his party's return to power for 18 months and his own second stint as chancellor of the exchequer. Though defeated again by Palmerston, and having proposed to step down as House leader, he sustains his drive until overwhelmed by the devastating death of his beloved sister in December 1859. Fear not, nearly four decades remain. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

M.G. WIEBE is Professor of English at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, and has been head of the Disraeli Project since 1982. Mary S. Millar is a co-editor with the Disraeli Project and an independent scholar in Kingston, Ontario. Ann P. Robson is a co-editor with the Disraeli Project and a professor emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Toronto.