D. R. Thorpe is a senior member of Brasenose College, Oxford. He has written widely on twentieth-century British political history, and was invited to undertake this biography by the Countess of Avon, Eden's widow, who has made important new material available to him.

"[A] biography of almost unqualified excellence." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman "The best-life of this ill-starred politician that we are likely to get...the skilful way he has paced his narrative...vivid...some of the disclosures are pure, unalloyed joy...Thorpe has painted a sympathetic enough portrait but he has not tried to blot out all the warts...excellent." -- ANTHONY HOWARD SUNDAY TIMES "Sympathetic and authoraitative...This biography, while solidly based on a myriad primary sources and a comprehensive range of secondary ones, flows easily with many nice touches...easily the best friendly account." -- INA GILMOUR FINANCIAL TIMES "A biography of almost unqualified excellence...comprehensive, authoritative, balanced and invariably (throughout more than 600 pages) readable...In a year or more of notable biographies, there has been nothing to touch it...as told by D.R. Thorpe it is a history of exceptionally high quality." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman

D. R. Thorpe is a senior member of Brasenose College, Oxford. He has written widely on twentieth-century British political history, and was invited to undertake this biography by the Countess of Avon, Eden's widow, who has made important new material available to him.

"[A] biography of almost unqualified excellence." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman "The best-life of this ill-starred politician that we are likely to get...the skilful way he has paced his narrative...vivid...some of the disclosures are pure, unalloyed joy...Thorpe has painted a sympathetic enough portrait but he has not tried to blot out all the warts...excellent." -- ANTHONY HOWARD SUNDAY TIMES "Sympathetic and authoraitative...This biography, while solidly based on a myriad primary sources and a comprehensive range of secondary ones, flows easily with many nice touches...easily the best friendly account." -- INA GILMOUR FINANCIAL TIMES "A biography of almost unqualified excellence...comprehensive, authoritative, balanced and invariably (throughout more than 600 pages) readable...In a year or more of notable biographies, there has been nothing to touch it...as told by D.R. Thorpe it is a history of exceptionally high quality." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman

D. R. Thorpe is a senior member of Brasenose College, Oxford. He has written widely on twentieth-century British political history, and was invited to undertake this biography by the Countess of Avon, Eden's widow, who has made important new material available to him.

"[A] biography of almost unqualified excellence." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman "The best-life of this ill-starred politician that we are likely to get...the skilful way he has paced his narrative...vivid...some of the disclosures are pure, unalloyed joy...Thorpe has painted a sympathetic enough portrait but he has not tried to blot out all the warts...excellent." -- ANTHONY HOWARD SUNDAY TIMES "Sympathetic and authoraitative...This biography, while solidly based on a myriad primary sources and a comprehensive range of secondary ones, flows easily with many nice touches...easily the best friendly account." -- INA GILMOUR FINANCIAL TIMES "A biography of almost unqualified excellence...comprehensive, authoritative, balanced and invariably (throughout more than 600 pages) readable...In a year or more of notable biographies, there has been nothing to touch it...as told by D.R. Thorpe it is a history of exceptionally high quality." -- Roy Hattersley New Statesman