American readers looking for a sweeping and superbly written study of the British Conservative Party should look no further than Robin Harris’s The Conservatives: A History, just published by Bantam Press. Its more than 600 pages cover every Conservative prime minister from Robert Peel to David Cameron, with in-depth and lively analysis of the premierships of some of the great titans of modern Britain, including Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Salisbury, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. As Harris observes in his conclusion, the Conservative Party has for two centuries symbolized the greatness …
One hundred and thirty six years ago this week, Winston Churchill—arguably the leading statesman of the twentieth century—was born. The son of a British father and an American mother, Churchill is often remembered for his formidable oratory skills and his love of fine cigars. Yet Churchill was also a great friend to America whose warnings about the empty promises of the nascent welfare state have come to fruition. A great admirer of America, Churchill especially praised our founding document: “The Declaration is not only an American document. It follows on …
The London Telegraph reports that Barack Obama has returned a bust of Sir Winston Churchill to the British government. The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein would be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, if it were sold on the open market. It was loaned by the British Government to President Bush after the 9/11 attacks as a gesture of solidarity. Obama turned down a British offer to continue the loan. A bust of Abraham Lincoln now occupies pride of place in the Oval Office. Obama’s affection for Lincoln – the …
