'Pacy and entertaining. It is a perfect refresher of British political history, deserving of a place in the discerning reader's downstairs loo...' - Daily Telegraph
A concise, sharp-witted and illuminating account of the lives of Britain's prime ministers from Walpole to May, illustrated by Martin Rowson.
For the reader who has heard of such giants as Gladstone and Disraeli, and has drunk in a pub called the Palmerston, but has only the haziest idea of who these people were, Gimson's Prime Ministers offers a short account of them all which can be read for pleasure, and not just for edification.
With Gimson's wonderful prose once again complemented by Martin Rowson's inimitable illustrations, this lively and entertaining aide-memoire and work of satirical genius brings our parliamentary history to life as never before.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9781910931431
Number of pages: 336
Weight: 440 g
Dimensions: 222 x 144 x 32 mm
Gimson's Prime Ministers is a crisp and stylish account of every one of them - Charles Moore, Spectator
Masterly - Craig Brown, Daily Mail
Hugely enjoyable... has the added bonus of glorious illustrations - Tom Holland
Andrew Gimson's Prime Ministers is the best general book on British politics I've ever come across. Learned, witty and wise, and splendidly illustrated by Martin Rowson, with great snippets for dinner parties. Take Henry Pelham, prime minister from 1743 to 54: "He lived without abusing his power and died poor." - Tibor Fischer
The secret of prime ministers is that they are weak. This is a conclusion of Andrew Gimson’s wonderful portraits in his new book - John Rentoul, The Independent
Really valuable - Daniel Finkelstein, The Times Red Box Podcast
If you associate Lord Salisbury more with a pub than with politics, here is Andrew Gimson to the rescue... This spirited blend of politics and anecdote is wonderfully complemented by Martin Rowson's Georgian-style caricatures. Tony Blair's tombstone teeth embedded in Iraq are unforgettable - Zenga Longmore, Spectator
Pacy and entertaining. It is a perfect refresher of British political history, deserving of a place in the discerning reader’s downstairs loo alongside Gimson’s excellent earlier volume on Kings and Queens, which was, like this one, beautifully illustrated by the cartoonist Martin Rowson. - Theo Barclay, Daily Telegraph
A cracking read - Andrew Pierce, LBC
A gem of a book...a constant delight - Julia Langdon, The Tablet
It could hardly be done better. His pen portraits of our 54 prime ministers are lucid, pithy and perceptive... a galloping good read - Peter Lilley, Standpoint
The most engaging and insightful account of PMs to have been published - Arthur Seldon, Standpoint
Cracking little book that expertly sums up the lives of the fascinating figures within. Both an easy and engaging read for the lay person, as well as an insightful and sharp commentary for the history buff. Well... More
An insightful book which examines, in brief, the lives, deeds, and characters of every Prime Minister of Britain. Very much in the style of the great John Aubrey (although more focused and systematic in execution)... More
I enjoyed this book so much that I recommended it to my book group. There are too many facts to remember them all but I have a much better grasp of our history now. The line drawings at the start of each chapter are... More
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