Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman - Alexander S. Waugh

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's brief tenure as British Prime Minister between 1905 and 1908 represents an important transition in the history both of the country and of the Liberal Party, where he might be said to have bridged the gap between the party of Gladstone and that of Asquith and Lloyd George. As Liberal Leader from 1899 to 1908, he was widely credited with the restoration of the fortunes of his party, and his time in office includes one of the greatest landslide victories in British politics, when the Liberals won almost 400 seats in the election of 1906. Sir Henry's distinguished political career included nearly forty years as the MP for the Scottish seat Stirling Burghs, Chief Secretary for Ireland, Secretary of State for War and, uniquely, 'Father of the House' (as the longest-serving MP in the House of Commons) at the same time that he was Prime Minister. This is the first major biography of Sir Henry for forty years. It is also the first to be written by a Scot since 1914; indeed, it has been written about one former pupil of the High School of Glasgow by another. 'Truly this is an intensively scholarly work which will do much to elevate Campbell-Bannerman's reputation.' - from the Foreword by David Steel (Lord Steel of Aikwood), Liberal Party leader, 1976-1988