Lloyd George. The Young Lloyd George - John Grigg

John Grigg''s four volume life of Lloyd George is one of the great political biographies. Volume 1, The Young Lloyd George, covers the years from his birth in 1863 to the end of the Boer War in 1902. John Grigg describes the future Prime Minister''s emergence as a local solicitor and politician and his first twelve years in the House of Commons. In the process he challenges many stock assumptions about Lloyd George while never losing sight of the man behind the politician, nor forgetting that politics were the dominating passion of his life.

It is a tragedy John Grigg didn''t live to complete his magnum opus but what exists is a masterpiece. Faber Finds is reissuing the four volumes: The Young Lloyd George, Lloyd George: The People''s Champion 1902-1911, Lloyd George: From Peace to War 1912-1916, Lloyd George: War Leader 1916-1918.

''I would not have believed that anyone could write a new volume of Lloyd George''s biography which would make everything previously written look narrow-sighted and stale. By the quality of his perception and writing he has given a new sharpness and interpretation.'' Roy Jenkins, Observer

''The most brilliant biographer of our times, whose books on Lloyd George will be read as long as civilization lasts.'' Brian Walden, Evening Standard

''Difficult to overpraise. . . Mr Grigg has dug up a whole mass of information. A mixture of shrewd human judgement and unblinkered insight.'' C. P. Snow, Financial Times.