1124 Disraeli, by Robert Blake (read 23 Aug 1971) This 1967 book has been acclaimed the definitive biography of its subject. Disraeli was born in London on Dec 21, 1804, baptized in the Church of England in 1817, led an immoral life as a young man, wrote novels, had much money trouble, finally got elected to Parliament on July 27, 1837 (he received 616 votes and won!), was instrumental in the downfall of Peel in 1846, became Prime Minister in 1868, won a great Tory victory in 1874, lost to Gladstone in 1880, and died on April 19,1881, at his country home, Hughendum. The book deals with all the obscure English parliamentary things, the Berlin Conference of 1878, and much more. I admired Disraeli in power, even though ideologically I would not expect to. But I have a soft spot in my heart for the British Empire, and always will have, and this book suited me fine. I really don't think this is as perfect a biography as the one I read of Asquith (by Roy Jenkins) in January of 1969, because it was not quite as chronological, and it was a little long, and it assumed a little too much familiarity with English mid-19th century facts. But I did enjoy it, and feel the reading to have been well worthwhile. ( )