The definitive biography of William Ewart Gladstone, the only man to have served four terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. With consummate skill and a deep understanding both of the man and his milieu, Roy Jenkins examines Gladstone's prodigious life and career. Born in 1809, he lived for almost eighty-nine years, spending sixty-three of them in the House of Commons, twenty-seven of them in office and twelve as Prime Minister. He read over 20,000 books, walked vast distances and chopped down innumerable trees.

Jenkins shines a clear light not only on Gladstone's manifold activities, but also on the political rhythms, travel patterns and religious assumptions of Victorian England, comparing them with those of today. It is a consummate portrait of a remarkable man.

'As befits the heroic grandeur of its subject, this is an admirably proportioned and beautifully written book, by turns enthralling, moving and (sometimes) very funny' David Cannadine, Observer

'[Jenkins's] evident delight in the man and his story carry the reader along as though on the crest of a wave' Claire Tomalin, Independent on Sunday

'Roy Jenkins has written many good books. This is his best. It is beyond praise' Vernon Bogdanor, Evening Standard