Short History of the Liberal Party

CHRIS COOK was educated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and Nuffield College, Oxford, UK. He has been director of successive surveys by the Modern Archives Unit at the London School of Economics, as well as Head of History at what is now London Metropolitan University. His many previous publications for Macmillan include the six-volume Sources in British Political History, 1900-51. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he is also editor of the best-selling Pears Cyclopaedia. He has recently completed a new edition of The Slump: Britain in the Great Depression (with John Stevenson).

"The great strength of Chris Cook's party history is that it is a work of reference and record. Dr Cook provides a highly readable narrative Those who need a reliable single volume history of the Liberal Party and the Liberal Democrats from 1900 onwards should have this tome on their shelves. " - Michael Meadowcroft, Liberal historian and MP for Leeds West, 1983-87 "First published in 1976, Chris Cook's Short History of the Liberal Party remains a first point of reference for students of the modern party. This seventh edition brings the story up to date, charting a clear and perceptive course through the turbulent leaderships of Kennedy, Campbell and Clegg to the party's triumphal return to government following the General Election of 2010. - David Dutton, Ramsay Muir Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Liverpool, UK

• Acknowledgements Introduction The Liberal Tradition Liberalism in Eclipse The Liberals in Opposition: 1900-1906 The Liberal Ascendancy: 1906-1910 The Crisis of Liberalism: 1910-1914 Liberals at War: 1914-1918 A Party Divided: 1918-1923 Revival and Decline: 1923-1926 Lloyd George Again: 1926-1931 Dissension and Decline: 1931-1945 A Party in the Wilderness: 1945-1956 The Sound of Gunfire: 1956-1967 The Thorpe Leadership: 1967-1976 Pacts and Alliances: 1976-1983 A Tale of Two Leaders: 1983-1987 Merger Most Foul: 1987-1988 A New Agenda: 1988-1992 Voting for Change: 1992-1997 Living with Labour: 1997-2001 An Effective Opposition: 2001-2005 From Kennedy to Clegg: 2005-2010 Voting for Deadlock: The General Election of May 2010 Consenting Adults: The Liberal-Conservative Coalition Appendix I: Major Holders of Party Office, 1900-1988 Appendix II: Major Holders of Liberal Democrat Office, 1988-2010 Appendix III: The Liberal Vote, 1918-2001 Appendix IV: Liberal By-Election Victories since 1945 Appendix V: Liberal Democratic Seats (After May 2010) Appendix VI: The Continuing Liberal Party Bibliographical Note Index