Gladstone 1809-1898

Abstract Gladstone 1875-1898 is the culmination of Colin Matthew's acclaimed study of one of Britain's greatest statesmen. William Ewart Gladstone retired from politics in 1875, but returned for a further twenty years at the forefront of British politics. Gladstone 1809-1874 told the story of Gladstone's first political career; his second is examined in this volume. The book tells the story of Gladstone’s last three premierships and his dramatic political campaigns as he pursued his often controversial aims, particularly his mission to bring Irish Home Rule to Ireland. Political reform, Egypt, Gordon in the Sudan, and the ̒Scramble for Africa̓ are other major themes. The treatment of Gladstone’s political career is balanced by Colin Matthew’s acute discussion of his full and active private life, including his enormous correspondence and prodigiously wide reading. The book ends with a moving account of Gladstone’s death and state funeral, the last great set-piece of Victorian Liberalism. Colin Matthew’s writings on Gladstone are generally acknowledged to have transformed understanding of the ̒Grand Old Man̓ of British politics and his age. Appearing first as Introductions to his definitive edition of The Gladstone Diaries, they have been revised and made available in this volume and its predecessor.