Several of my regular Book Blog visits have recently come up with the same idea – reading the biographies of every US President (although not necessarily in date order). I thought that idea was pretty cool but, as I’ve stated on multiple occasions, I’m trying to keep my focus on British and European history rather than reading about the entire planet… So, in line with that I thought it’d be an idea reading about every British Prime Minister but starting in the 20th Century and working backwards – but not strictly in date order. Presently I can’t really see myself reading about anyone after Tony Blair (the last PM I actually voted for – although we, the public, don’t actually vote for Prime Ministers we vote for the party they lead and actually we vote for a local MP who makes up a majority in the Commons who then decide on a PM, which to be honest is always the leader of the party).
Presently I have a bunch of books on Winston Churchill, his predecessor Neville Chamberlin and his successor Clement Attlee. Everything else would need to be acquired – and constitute yet another excuse to buy books! Actually I only really started noticing PM’s in my early teens with Edward Heath (1970-74) and Harold Wilson (1974-76). The first time I cast my vote was for Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) and the last time I voted for a PM that got into power was Tony Blair (1997-2007).
Going back in time I only know a few of the really BIG names of the 19th century so much of the period will be political terra incognita to me. That in itself is enough reason for the proposed project. Interestingly I have absolutely no idea who the first PM was or even what century he took office in (without looking it up) but presume it was the 18th or possibly the 17th. I just couldn’t guess. No doubt my investigations will throw up many names that no one remembers except for some dry political historians but that’ll make the hunt all the more interesting. But before I plumb the absolute depths I’ll cut my teeth on our leaders that at least some of you will recognise. I am however starting from a very low base with a single book in the list so far. My intention is to post updates every six months which should give me some motivation and might even prompt me to get my ‘Britain Alone’ reading off the ground with the added bonus of the PM books in the mix. But so far the list stands at this:
Winston S. Churchill (10th May 1940 – 26th July 1945) (26th October 1951 – 5th April 1955)
Churchill’s First War – Young Winston and the Fight against the Taliban by Con Couchlin.
Needless to say, we have FAR to go.
8 comments:
I’ve often thought about reading Presidential biographies but haven’t made it that far yet. I hope that’s what retirement is for. 😊
Reading all the Presidential biographies would be interesting. I have already read more then a few, but they are heavily weighted to the early ones.
we watched an English history series not too long ago and it said when prime ministers first were ensorcelled but of course i don't remember... i want to say the start of the 19 C but i'm really not sure...
@ V V: 50(?) over 5 years....? Do-able?
@ Brian: I guess that the early guys & the wartime Presidents get the most coverage. Is there *any* President without a Biography?
@ Mudpuddle: I almost don't want to know straight away.... I'll chip away at it slowly I think... [grin]
Should be fun. I imagine planning would be a lot harder than planning for a US series, since there have been SO many PMs.
From Wiki:
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of the Government of the United Kingdom, and chairs Cabinet meetings. There is no specific date for when the office of prime minister first appeared, as the role was not created but rather evolved over a period of time through a merger of duties. However, the term was regularly if informally used of Walpole by the 1730s. It was used in the House of Commons as early as 1805, and it was certainly in parliamentary use by the 1880s.[4] In 1905 the post of prime minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence. Modern historians generally consider Sir Robert Walpole, who led the government of Great Britain for over twenty years from 1721, as the first prime minister. Walpole is also the longest-serving British prime minister by this definition. However, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was the first and Margaret Thatcher the longest-serving prime minister officially referred to as such in the order of precedence. The first to use the title in an official act was Benjamin Disraeli, who signed the Treaty of Berlin as "Prime Minister of her Britannic Majesty" in 1878.
Strictly, the first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland) was William Pitt the Younger. The first prime minister of the current United Kingdom, i.e. the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was Bonar Law, although the country was not renamed officially until 1927, when Stanley Baldwin was the serving prime minister.
So... If we go with Sir Robert Walpole in 1721 that makes about 70 including PM's who served more than 1 term.... 7 a year maybe.....? [lol]
I, of course, totally approve of your project. My reading of US Presidential biographies has brought me so much insight into my country's history in the 20th century, my understanding of politics here, and because of that perhaps, I am not as freaked out as some people about what is going on now. It is not all that much of a departure from our past.
Thanks Judy. Historical context is so important. Plus we all should remember that those who do not know their own history are doomed to repeat it (as we are finding out presently with the seeming lurch to the Right to solve problems across the globe). I mean, that never went wrong before....!
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