First published in 1903, this authorised biography of the Liberal Prime Minister Gladstone provides valuable insights into Victorian political life.

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the lively historical controversies surrounding the political careers of Gladstone and Disraeli. Organised thematically around the most contested areas of interpretation, it offers a unique insight into the politics of Victorian England.

In 1998 an international conference brought Gladstone scholars together to mark the centenary of his death, and some of the papers presented on that occasion are published in this volume. They cover topics such as parliamentary reform and free trade.

This volume reveals music's role in Victorian liberalism and its relationship with literature, locating the Victorian salon within intellectual and cultural history.