Product Description

The two most significant British political figures of the twentieth-century, Churchill and Lloyd George were political rivals but personal friends. Between them their ministerial careers spanned seventy years and two world wars. Althought they could not have been more different temperamentally, and often disagreed violently about politics, theirs was 'the longest political friendship in the life of Great Britain' and Churchill was the only person outside his family to call Lloyd George 'David'. Richard Toye's book is a dynamic account of their relationship. Drawing on diaries and letters, some never before published, (there are more than 1,000 pieces of correspondence between the two men), he explores their long-standing friendship and rivalry, the impact they had on each other's careers, and the fate of their respective reputations, arguing that Lloyd George's major achievements have been undeservedly overshadowed, in part as a consequence of Churchill's later mythmaking. It is a major work from a brilliant young historian.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47744 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 356 pages

The Independent
'Toye's intelligent and assured book reveals that friendship and power do not mix.'

Journal of Liberal History Spring 2008 Dr J.Graham Jones
'Outstandingly full and balanced survey of the political and personal relationship between the two great wartime leaders, spanning five decades.'

Seven, Sunday Telegraph
'a mine of fascinating material'

Customer Reviews

Subversive
The traditional view of the unlikely friendship between Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George is that of 'David and Winston', political friends and rivals who, while they might have disagreed, never fell out. As Lloyd George's great grandson has put it, 'the friendship which changed history'. Toye challenges this view, at the same time pointing out that, at various times, it was convenient for the two men to create the myth. What emerges is a picture of two men, very different in temperament, who, while they got on personally, were political rivals, both having their eyes on the Premiership, and willing to undermine each other in order to get it. The most fascinating part is that dealing with Churchill's wartime premiership, which we are now much more aware was hardly the triumphant progress some have portrayed it as. The statement that Llooyd George embraced defeatism, and may even have seen himself as a British Petain is sadly only too likely, given other material which has come to light in recent family memoirs.

Toye rightly does not over-egg the pudding. Clearly the men were friends as well as colleagues, but he captures the complexity of political friendship over decades.

worthy but slightly joyless.
This is an extremely well researched study of a peculiar friendship and a great rivalry. It is very interesting and informative but be warned: this is not an easily read piece of popular history and whilst I would not wish to criticise a book on account of it being scholarly when one considers the personalities of the two men involved I was left feeling that an opportunity to produce a more entertaining read was missed.

A joy for anyone with a love of 20th century history
This is a fascinating insight into the relationship between the two most influential politicians of the first half of the 20th century. Scholarly, detailed and very smoothly written it takes a decent investment of time to get through it, but it is worth the effort. As a study of a relationship rather than a biography it is a refreshing break from the usual format, though perhaps there could be greater indulgence into the magnificent personalities of the characters involved. Nonetheless there is an enormous amount of thoughtful commentary on every aspect of the Churchill-L G relationship, charting the ebbs and flows in more detail than before to come to a challenging, revisionist conclusion.