Affair of State: A Biography of the 8th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire Book

This is a short and well written biography of Sir Robert Peel, the great British Prime Minister, who is credited with the creation of modern conservative politics and the chief steward of the repeal of the Corn Laws, the landmark in the history of Britain as a 'free trade nation'. The book is short, but it presents a treasure trove of insights, about Peel's early political career, his anti-democratic notions of an enlightened elite leading the country, his loyalty towards the crown rather than to the party etc. Peel's career coincided with Britain's transformation from an agricultural to industrial nation, and his great political purpose was to preserve the institutions in the face of great turmoil, both Irish politics and the changing class structures at home. And, in this setting, he would lead the break from old Tory party and found the modern Conservative Party, though his distrust of party politics would leave it for his successors, Disraeli most notably, to really take advantage of it.

I would have liked to see a greater discussion about the Empire and European politics and Peel's ideas about those, but I appreciate that the short length of the book restricted the discussion only to the essentials.