RAB: The Life of R.A. Butler
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Richard Austin Butler remains the great enigma of post-war British politics. Independent, indiscreet and never anything but irreverent, Butler commanded the respect of both sides of the Commons and would have been, on several occasions, the people's choice for premier. From his entry into politics in 1929 to his retirement from that arena in 1965, Butler's story is also that of British political life through almost four decades. Scarred by his association with the appeasers of Munich, he won the respect of the nation as the architect of the 1944 Education Act. From the viewpoint of these times of Tory wets and dries, Butler appears the victim of the age that divided gentlemen from players. In these pages, one of our most distinguished political journalists offers a revealing portrait of 'the best Prime Minister we never had'.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Richard Austen Butler (19021982) served as acting prime minister for Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home, and on three occasions came close to moving into No. 10 Downing to stay. As the Conservative party's "uncrowned prime minister,'' he is also remembered for his 1944 Education Act and his successful handling of successive budgets during his tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Butler is elaborately presented as a passive gentleman who steadfastly refused to take initiative ever and whose principal characteristic was ``to make the best of things.'' The only grit to be found in this bland narrative occurs in the account of Macmillan's ``cunning'' and ``ruthless'' opposition to Butler's assumed succession to national leadership in 1963. This is a dull political biography by a British journalist. Photos.
