Castlereagh: From Englightenment to Tyranny
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Review
'In this well-researched and judicious book, John Bew successfully readjusts the picture ... this excellent biography tells a cautionary tale' Literary Review.
'Bew's book is not only unparalleled in its size and sweep; it is also drenched in the Irish dimension, enriched by the author's own Ulster heritage, as well as the sagacity, scholarship and charm that make this a Life so nearly complete that it need never be written again' Ferdinand Mount. Times Literary Supplement.
'John Bew has some heavy lifting to do in this consciously revisionist take. It is a great testament to his skills as a scholar and writer that he manages to do so with such aplomb ... stellar' Tristram Hunt, Daily Telegraph.
'More than simply a biography of Castlereagh, it is a fascinating review of the war against Napoleon and authoritative assessment of the personalities involved in the Congress of Vienna and the issues they wrestled with in remoulding the face of Europe ... This is a book that offers insights not only into its subject but the nature and practice of diplomacy, statecraft,nationalism and internationalism' Irish Independent.
'Vast, well-researched biography ... [a] solid, accomplished book' Sunday Times.
'In a magisterial political portrait Bew brings Castlereagh and his world sharply back to life, and reassesses one of Britain's great forgotten statesmen' Telegraph.
'a compelling account' Times Literary Review.
'the most brilliant and wise political biography I have read in a long while' Wall Street Journal.
'Bew's book is not only unparalleled in its size and sweep; it is also drenched in the Irish dimension, enriched by the author's own Ulster heritage, as well as the sagacity, scholarship and charm that make this a Life so nearly complete that it need never be written again' Ferdinand Mount. Times Literary Supplement.
'John Bew has some heavy lifting to do in this consciously revisionist take. It is a great testament to his skills as a scholar and writer that he manages to do so with such aplomb ... stellar' Tristram Hunt, Daily Telegraph.
'More than simply a biography of Castlereagh, it is a fascinating review of the war against Napoleon and authoritative assessment of the personalities involved in the Congress of Vienna and the issues they wrestled with in remoulding the face of Europe ... This is a book that offers insights not only into its subject but the nature and practice of diplomacy, statecraft,nationalism and internationalism' Irish Independent.
'Vast, well-researched biography ... [a] solid, accomplished book' Sunday Times.
'In a magisterial political portrait Bew brings Castlereagh and his world sharply back to life, and reassesses one of Britain's great forgotten statesmen' Telegraph.
'a compelling account' Times Literary Review.
'the most brilliant and wise political biography I have read in a long while' Wall Street Journal.
Product Description
No British statesman of the nineteenth century reached the same level of international fame as Lord Castlereagh, or won as much respect from the great powers of Europe or America. Yet no British statesman has been so maligned by his contemporaries or hated by the public. His career took him from the brutal suppression of a bloody rebellion in Ireland to the splendour of Vienna and Paris. He imprisoned his former friends, abolished the Irish parliament, created the biggest British army in history, and redrew the map of Europe. At a time when the West turns from idealism to realism in its foreign policy, Castlereagh's reputation is being revived. Yet neither his detractors nor his defenders have truly understood this shy, inarticulate but sometimes passionate man. In this book, John Bew tells the story of Castlereagh from the French Revolution through the Irish rebellion, the Napoleonic Wars, the diplomatic power struggles of 1814-5 and the mental breakdown that ended his life. John Bew paints a magisterial portrait not only of his subject but the tumultuous times in which he acted. Rather than the tyrant of legend, Castlereagh was a man whose mind captured the complexity of the European Enlightenment as much as any other. His mind was conservative and enlightened at the same time - and no less the one for being the other.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Clearly a book for the academic or serious historian which must represent the results of a prodigious amount of research. This is a compelling piece of work by John Bew and covers in great detail the entire span of the long and illustrious (some would say, controversial) career of Robert Stewart, Lord Castlereagh. The book is in three sections, the first of which covers Castlereagh's upbringing in Ireland, the nationalist movement in that country which lead to the anti-English rebellion of 1798 (in which Protestant and Catholic Irishmen were initially united) and Castlereagh's accession to the Irish Parliament and its closure after his successful bill on union with England in 1800. The second part deals with the roles that Castlereagh played as Minister of War and Foreign Minister, his support for the ill-fated Walcheren Campaign, his very personal support for Wellington in the Peninsula and the growth of the British Army. The third and final section tells of the fiendishly difficult task that Castlereagh faced in trying to maintain a balance of power in Europe following the defeat of Napoleon and, in particular, his attempts to prevent a permanent incursion of Russian forces into western Europe. Castlereagh's decline and eventual suicide are inevitably the subject of the closing chapters. The often unwarranted criticisms from the Radicals and Whigs and Castlereagh's difficulties with rival Tory George Canning are a recurring theme of the book.
In relating this immense span of history Bew has shown particular talent in drawing together original material to demonstrate the strategic thrust of Castlereagh's diplomacy and his guiding principles. It has been suggested that Castlereagh was not a great thinker or strategist and that his poor speaking ability and a predilection to malapropisms suggest a lack of intelligence but the author is able to amply illustrate that this is not the case. Bew demonstrates quite clearly that the reputation historically assigned to Castlereagh does not do the man justice. Many of the issues raised in considering the diplomatic questions of the time are entirely relevant to the modern political scene, particularly the subject of intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. I found the approach of Castlereagh well reasoned and something that modern politicians would do well to ponder before continuing with their headlong dash to interfere in almost any conflict that arises.
John Bew has an excellent writing style, the book flows very well, and a convincing picture of the main protagonists clearly emerges. The narration is crisp and moves along at a pace, perhaps just sagging slightly in the final chapters. Despite my opening comments the general reader will be well rewarded if he is not put off by the size of this substantial book.
In relating this immense span of history Bew has shown particular talent in drawing together original material to demonstrate the strategic thrust of Castlereagh's diplomacy and his guiding principles. It has been suggested that Castlereagh was not a great thinker or strategist and that his poor speaking ability and a predilection to malapropisms suggest a lack of intelligence but the author is able to amply illustrate that this is not the case. Bew demonstrates quite clearly that the reputation historically assigned to Castlereagh does not do the man justice. Many of the issues raised in considering the diplomatic questions of the time are entirely relevant to the modern political scene, particularly the subject of intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. I found the approach of Castlereagh well reasoned and something that modern politicians would do well to ponder before continuing with their headlong dash to interfere in almost any conflict that arises.
John Bew has an excellent writing style, the book flows very well, and a convincing picture of the main protagonists clearly emerges. The narration is crisp and moves along at a pace, perhaps just sagging slightly in the final chapters. Despite my opening comments the general reader will be well rewarded if he is not put off by the size of this substantial book.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This detailed and surprising biography helps us to see why Castlereagh was more than a reactionary who feared that French revolution excesses would be unleashed on nineteenth century Britain. I always wondered why Castlereagh hadn't been studied more widely, not least for his intriguing private life, and this book both confirms that we should pay more attention to him and neatly fills a gap in my bookshelf.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Castlereagh by John Bew is a good book about the much criticised and unloved nineteenth-century politician. The author certainly shows that Castlereagh has without a doubt been harshly treated by history and achieved a lot for which he has never been given credit and had his reputation blackened based on myth and rumour. However, the book suffers from the fact that the narrative structure is not particularly tight and focused and the author does have a tendency to go off at tangents and jump about chronologically. All in all a good book which could however have been much more.
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