Few reputations in British political history have suffered more than that of Anthony Eden. A rising young star of inter-war British politics, his career was hindered, if not crippled, by his extended tenure as heir-apparent to Winston Churchill for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the nation. Defined for a generation by his resignation in response to Chamberlain's determined policies of appeasement, his premiership will forever be remembered for the disastrous misjudgment of the Suez invasion. So tarnished has his reputation been that his family has commissioned two official biographies since his death. D. R. Thorpe's is the second, following on Robert Rhodes James' biography from nearly two decades before.

Thorpe's book is a noticeably sympathetic account of Eden's life, one which helps the reader understand the nature of his appeal. Born to a family that Thorpe characterizes as "minor aristocracy," he enjoyed a privileged childhood that was punctuated by service in the First World War. Interested in politics at an early age, he won a seat in Parliament in 1924 where he soon gained a reputation for ability in foreign policy. A little more than a decade after winning his first election, Eden was appointed Foreign Secretary. Over the next three years he faced the rise of an increasingly aggressive Germany, during which time he embraced policies that placed him increasingly out of step with his more conciliatory colleagues but did his reputation much good later on.

After his resignation in 1938 Eden quickly became a focus of Conservative dissent in the House of Commons. He was even seen by many as an alternative to the existing prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, though his slow return to office after the start of the Second World War meant that he was not a candidate when Chamberlain resigned in 1940. Eventually returning to his old job as Foreign Secretary, Eden soon emerged as Winston Churchill's successor as leader of the Conservative Party, a position he would occupy with increasing discomfort for the next fifteen years. Though eventually succeeding Churchill as Prime Minister in 1955, he faced a host of problems, most notably Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal the following year. Determined to regain the canal, the resulting operation proved a humiliating reversal, crippling Britain's international standing and costing Eden his premiership.

An accomplished political biographer, Thorpe offers a solid account of Eden's life, one rooted in a considerable amount of research, including numerous original interviews with people who knew Eden. Yet the book is burdened by an annoying degree of repetition of little details that seems prematurely introduced and then brought up again just a few pages later. Thorpe also seems never to have encountered a quote or an anecdote he didn't like, regardless of its relevancy to the topic being examined. Such matters distract from the overall focus of his point and diminish the broader effectiveness of Thorpe's writing.

Despite these flaws, Thorpe has provided what is the best biography of a controversial and disappointing prime minister. Though not as well written as James's earlier study, it benefits from Thorpe's extensive archival research, much of it in collections which was unavailable earlier. As such it stands as a well-supported defense of Eden's career, one infused with much respect for the man and consideration for his achievements. ( )

Based on hitherto unseen primary source material, this biography of the once Prime Minister and Foreign Minister reveals the inside stories of the Munich crisis and the Suez crisis. It also throws new light on Churchill.