Britain's Greatest Prime Minister

Martin Hutchinson was born in London, brought up in Cheltenham, England, and has lived in Singapore, Croatia, London, suburban Washington, and since 2011 in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was a merchant banker for more than twenty-five years before moving into financial journalism in 2000. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Trinity College, Cambridge, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

"Martin Hutchinson, one of the rarest of Wall Street's birds of plumage - a true original thinker - here makes the persuasive case that the greatest of Britain's prime ministers is a man whose name perhaps few Americans have ever heard. This splendid, erudite, fast-moving biography assures Lord Liverpool of the recognition he so richly deserves."James Grant, Founder and Editor, Grant's Interest Rate Observer"Meticulously researched, beautifully written and enlivened by the author's mischievous wit, Britain's Greatest Prime Minister is a tour de force in political biography and provides a deep sense of the tumultuous and challenging times in which Lord Liverpool lived. An added bonus is Hutchinson's unconventional assessment of the good, the bad, the mediocre and the dregs among UK prime ministers."Kevin Dowd, Durham University"Martin Hutchinson has written a masterly biography rooted in political economy that promotes the once-despised Lord Liverpool to the first rank of prime ministers. He demonstrates how Liverpool's shrewd financial policy laid the foundations for defeating Napoleon, restoring post-war stability at home and in Europe, and strengthening Britain's economic and strategic world dominance. It's an impressive story, still largely unknown, and Hutchinson's telling is powerful and readable in equal measure."John O'Sullivan, Editor-at-large of National Review and author of The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister"Hutchinson writes clearly and briskly, making even minor matters interesting... a remarkable book."Lord Lexden, The House Magazine Jan 2021, pp.39"He has written a first-rate political biography which is essential reading for all who are interested in the period."Michael Arnold, Historical Association, 26th January 2021

• List of IllustrationsNote on NomenclatureNote on MoneyI. IntroductionII. Early Years until the Death of Pitt, 1770-1806III. De Facto Primus inter Pares, 1806-11IV. Year of Destiny, 1812V. Years of Victory, 1813-15VI. Penury and Progress, 1815-19VII. Challenges, Recovery and Transition, 1820-23VIII. Bubble, Reform, Death and Oblivion, 1824-28IX. ConclusionAppendix: Liverpool's letter to the Bank of EnglandBibliographyIndex