Book Description

• Insights into Gladstone’s friendship with former courtesans and also gives an account of his reading of pornography and rescuing prostitutes • Explains of Disraeli’s Jewish birth and pronounced features affected his political career • It is said that Gladstone thought that Disraeli was a charlatan and that Disraeli thought that Gladstone was mad; the book tries to see if both were right • Gladstone was Queen Victoria’s least favourite prime minister and Disraeli was her favourite; Disraeli v Gladstone explains why this was the case Benjamin Disraeli joined William Gladstone in the House of Commons in 1837. A few years later, a bitter feud developed between the two men and it lasted until Disraeli’s death in 1881. During this time, Disraeli, for the Conservatives, was Chancellor of the Exchequer three times and Prime Minister twice. Gladstone, for the Liberals, was during his lifetime Chancellor of the Exchequer four times and Prime Minister also four times. This book analyses the causes of the feud and it describes how it developed and the actions of two of the country’s greatest statesmen. Their mutual antipathy was so great that Gladstone made an excuse not to go to his rival’s funeral. In addition, there is a wealth of fascinating information about them. Among other things, this includes an account of Gladstone’s controversial work rescuing prostitutes and his close friendship with former courtesans. It also describes how Disraeli wrote his famous novels, and his disreputable business activities.