"A thoughtful and persuasive account of a significant part of twentieth-century Liberal history." (Journal of Liberal Democratic History, Issue 29, Winter 2000) "Tregidga has identified several persistent themes in the survival of Liberalism and makes a good case for the peculiarities of politics in the South West." (English Historical Review, Sept 2001) “Meticulously researched, sourced and argued, like all the best political histories this is a road map of social change, local and national, through the fastest shifting century of them all . . . It is a book that needed to be written, and deserves to be read.” (Western Morning News, December 5, 2000) “A well-researched work, drawing on many sources, this book is, however, not a turgid tome. It is replete with interesting detail . . . a welcome contribution to the debate about the Liberal Party’s survival in the face of a sea change in British history.” (Tavistock Times, November 23, 2000) “this study convincingly shows how grassroots agents and issues can have a transformative effect on national politics.” (Albion, Spring 2002) “a fascinating and scholarly study, ably illuminated by pertinent quotations and sharing a good grasp of region and localities.” (Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, 2003)