The backstairs dragon;: A life of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford 在線電子書 圖書標籤:
發表於2024-11-24
The backstairs dragon;: A life of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford 在線電子書 pdf 下載 txt下載 epub 下載 mobi 下載 2024
Robert Harley, first earl of Oxford and later
Lord Treasurer and undisputed Prime Mini-
ster of Great Britain in the early eighteenth
century under Queen Anne, is one of the
most tantalizing, fascinating, and indeed,
misunderstood of all figures in British history.
A great statesman, he has all too often been
portrayed as totally underhanded and trea-
cherous, while in truth he was oftentimes
honest, just, and trustworthy. He was also
merry and convivial, good-humored even in
times of crisis, and well-known for his ability
to soothe angry men and calm the heats of
faction. "For all his love of dissembling,
artifice and intrigue to which was soon added
inveterate drunkenness," wrote Winston
Churchill, "he was nevertheless a man built
on a large scale and of a nature not wholly
divorced from the life of Britain."
The first full-scale biography of Harley to
be written since i9o2, this volume shows him
as a great exponent of the middle way in
politics who suffered for his moderation in the
diamond-hard world of politics. His love of
secrecy led him to build up an intelligence
system more comprehensive than any other
previously originated; he had a vast corres-
pondence and a study of his papers gives a
vivid picture of his time. About THE
BACKSTAIRS DRAGON the London Times
has said, "No scholar or student of the period
can afford to pass this book by. It has more
insight, more feel for the realities of men and
events in Queen Anne s England, than many
a chunk of worthy professional prose . . .
(This volume is) embellished by high quali-
ties of style and narrative skill, and by
scholarship of no mean calibre."
An author noted for her deft and insightful
handling of documents and correspondence,
Elizabeth Hamilton has written sev, eral other
biographies including THE MORDAUNTS.
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The backstairs dragon;: A life of Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford 在線電子書 pdf 下載 txt下載 epub 下載 mobi 下載 2024