Rosebery - Statesman in Turmoil (Paperback, New edition)

This is a magnificent study of one of Britain's most perplexing leaders and the last Liberal peer in Number 10. Though he spent less than two years in Downing Street, he always remained a glittering political star. Yet he never attained the true greatness that was within his grasp. The problem lay in his complex personality. Self-centred, impulsive and neurotic, as Prime Minister he was crippled by insomnia and virtually had a nervous breakdown. After retiring from the Liberal Leadership in 1896, he became an increasingly solitary, brooding figure. Using a wealth of archival material, the author covers every aspect of Lord Rosebery's character and his life, including his devotion to horse-racing, his literary achievements and his anguished private life in widowhood.Through original research, he provides fresh insights into the man and his involvement in some of the most controversial episodes of the era, from the Jameson Raid to the trial of Oscar Wilde.