Viewing Lloyd George.

Books about Lloyd George dominate my bookcase. The 'Welsh Wizard' has fascinated me since I was a university student; I still can't work out what I really think of him! The early works on Lloyd George are generally (but not always) written by authors spellbound by his brilliance. Others written by family members (with one notable exception) are also positive. My favourite title is the book written by Olwen Carey Evans entitled 'Lloyd George was my father'; of course he actually was, but there were a number of others that might make the same claim.
More recent biographies have tended have tended to be more critical and offer a more balanced view of Lloyd George's achievements. The best book I read last year was by Ffion Hague entitled 'The Pain and Privilege: Lloyd George's Women'. No prizes for guessing what this was about; it is a beautifully written book tracing the many women that played a part in Lloyd George's life. The latest book providing a more critical evaluation of his career and personality is by the ex cabinet minister Roy Hattersley. This biography is highly critical of Lloyd George - one gets the feeling that Hattersley does not like the subject of his book one bit. Hattersley portrays Lloyd George as a self serving politician, rooted in nothing, and almost without principle. He shows how Lloyd George shamelessly used his family and friends merely as stepping stones to further his political career. I am not sure agree with the overall tenor of Hattersley's superbly written book, but it does show that even after nearly 70 since he died, Lloyd George still has the power to divide opinion.

Lloyd George still has the power to divide opinion.