Keith Joseph

Hailed by Margaret Thatcher as the founder of modern conservatism, Keith Joseph is commonly ranked among the most influential politicians of the late-20th century. A complex and enigmatic figure Joseph was almost unique among Mrs Thatcher's senior ministers in refusing to write his own memoirs. Challenging both the "mad monk" view held by his critics and his status of mythical hero to his admirers, the authors present a picture of Joseph as a thinker and decision-maker. the authors tell of Joseph's formative years before he entered Parliamnet in 1956: the powerful Jewish dynasty into which Josph was born; his time at Harrow; at Oxford; his war years in the Royal Artillery; and his Fellowship at All Souls. This volume charts the political career of Keith Joseph. The authors challenge Joseph's self-declared conversion to Conservatism in 1974 and the importance of his "education" of Margaret Thatcher. His own ambition, intellectual integrity and consistency are all examined and a different picture emerges of his role as the intellectual driving force behind Conservative Government policy in the 1980s.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Preface Family tree 1. "Rather an enigma - " 2. Triumph and Tragedy 3. "Altruism and Egotism" 4. The Start of an Innings 5. The Man in Whitehall 6. "Blind" 7. The First Crusade 8. "Inflammatory Filth" 9. A Titanic Job 10. "Not a Conservative" 11. "A Good Mind Unharnessed" 12. "Really, Keith!" 13. The Last Examination 14. "If you seek his monument - " Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Andrew Denham is Reader in Government at the University of Nottingham. Mark Garnett is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Lancaster.

Review :
"Sets a new standard for political biography. Exhaustively researched and covering every aspect of the career of this at once confessional and elusive personality, it will surely be the standard work on the subject for many years to come." - John Gray, New Statesman "A beautifully proportioned work, sound in its judgements and psychologically acute. It constitutes a major contribution to contemporary history, one of the best biographies indeed of recent years." - Vernon Bogdanor, Times Higher Educational Supplement "Scholarly and percipient - essential reading for all students of recent Conservative history. This admirable biography has done him full justice and is unlikely to be replaced for many years." - Robert Blake, Times Literary Supplement "An excellent book about one of the stranger political careers of modern times - they succeed in bringing out the charm adn attraction of a politician who dared to believe that ideas are the most potent forces in life." - Anthony Howard, Sunday Times