British Prime Ministers from Walpole to Salisbury: The 18th and 19th Centuries

Dick Leonard is a journalist, author and former Labour MP. He was Assistant Editor of The Economist for 12 years, and has also worked for The Observer, the BBC, the Fabian Society, the Centre for European Policy Studies and the Publishers Association.

• Introduction: The Road to the Prime Ministership PART I: The 18th Century 1. Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford: "All these men have their price" 2. Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington: "George II’s favourite nonentity" 3. Henry Pelham: Pragmatic heir to Walpole 4. Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle: Mighty Panjamdrum, feeble Premier 5. William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire: "I have no motive but the King’s service" 6. John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute: The King’s "dearest friend" 7. George Grenville: Able Premier, undermined by his own prolixity 8. Charles Wentworth-Watson, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham: The conscience of the Whigs 9. William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham: "I am sure that I can save this country, and that nobody else can" 10. Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton: Well-intentioned dilettante 11. Frederick North, styled Lord North: Outstanding parliamentarian, pity about the colonies… 12. William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne: Intellectual in Politics 13. William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland: Twice a figurehead 14. William Pitt, the Younger: Reformer Turned Reactionary? PART II: The 19th Century 15. Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth: Better than his Reputation? 16. William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville: Not Quite 'All the Talents' 17. Spencer Perceval: Struck Down in his Prime 18. Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool: Keeping the Show on the Road 19. George Canning: In the Footsteps of Pitt 20. Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Goderich, 1st Earl of Ripon: Inadequate Stopgap 21. Arthur Wesley (Wellesley), 1st Duke of Wellington: Military Hero, Political Misfit? 22. Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey: In the Footsteps of Fox 23. William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne: Mentor to a Young Monarch 24. Sir Robert Peel: Arch Pragmatist or Tory Traitor? 25. Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russell: From Whig to Liberal 26. Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby: 'The Brilliant Chief, Irregularly Great' 27. George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen: Failure or Scapegoat? 28. Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston: Master Diplomat or Playground Bully? 29. Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield: Climbing 'the Greasy Pole' 30. William Ewart Gladstone: From 'Stern Unbending Tory' to 'The People's William' 31. Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury: Skilful Opponent of Reform 32. Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery: Seeking 'the Palm without the Dust'

"… a great resource for students, scholars and the general public alike. It contains essential information on the prime ministers as leaders but also as people: how they ended up in the role. their character, achievements and weaknesses …. as well as providing fascinating insights into the broader political issues of their time." - Oliver Daddow, University of Nottingham, UK"Dick Leonard's book on British Prime Ministers is an excellent account of the changing role of the premiership in UK politics, and the twists and turns of political life. The book is of great interest to the general reader, but also a fantastic undergraduate and postgraduate teaching resource." - Patrick Diamond, Queen Mary, University of London, UK"A terrific read and also a major contribution to public debate." - David Marquand, University of Oxford, UK