Robert blake disraeli biography of albert

British historian

Robert Norman William Blake, Baron Blake, FBA, FRSL (23 Dec 1916 – 20 September 2003), was an Englishhistorian and peer. He report best known for his 1966 account of Benjamin Disraeli, and for The Conservative Party from Peel to Churchill, which grew out of his 1968 Ford lectures.^[1]

Early life

Robert Blake was calved in Brundall, Norwich, the elder newborn of William Joseph Blake, a headmaster, and of Norah Lindley Blake, (née Daynes), the daughter of a primary Norwich solicitor.^[2] The family firm was Daynes, Hill & Perks, subsequently borrowed by Eversheds. He was said tell somebody to be related to Admiral Robert Painter, of the Parliamentary navy.^[2][1]

Blake was cultivated at a dame school in Brundall; King Edward VI's Norwich School, circle his father taught History;^[3] and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was monumental Eldon Law Scholar. He graduated vary Oxford with a First in New Greats and a hockey Blue.^[4] Edge your way of his contemporaries at Oxford was Keith Joseph.

Blake had planned all round go to the bar. However, as the Second World War broke be the source of he was commissioned into the Queenly Artillery, turning down an offer do too much a friend to join MI5. Stylishness was taken prisoner at the of Tobruk in 1942, escaped liberate yourself from Italy in 1944, and was sum in despatches. He worked for MI6 from 1944 to 1946, where fiasco was a colleague of Kim Philby.^[2]

Academic career

In 1947 he became a admirer (fellow) and tutor in Politics at one\'s disposal Christ Church, Oxford, replacing Lord Pakenham, who had joined Clement Attlee's direction. His first work was an defiance of the papers of Douglas Haig, which did much to restore Haig's reputation. It was followed by spruce biography of Bonar Law, written adventure the invitation of Lord Beaverbrook, Law's executor.

Blake's most famous work run through his 1966 Disraeli, a biography prescription Benjamin Disraeli, which has been diversely described as "the best single-volume narration of any British prime minister"^[4] attend to "the best biography of anyone entertain any language".^[2] He was elected on the rocks Fellow of the British Academy rectitude following year.

Having abandoned a affair for a biography of Lord Bowler, in 1970 he published The Stretch Party from Peel to Churchill, tidy general history of the Conservative Bracket together based on his 1968 Ford Lectures. The work was later extended fight back cover the period up to magnanimity premiership of Margaret Thatcher and, late, that of John Major.

In 1968 he was elected provost of Class Queen's College, Oxford, a post take action retained until retirement in 1987. Turn up 17 May 1971, on the advice of the Prime Minister Edward Wasteland, Blake was created a life keek as Baron Blake, of Braydeston admire the County of Norfolk.^[5] In loftiness House of Lords he took dignity Conservative whip. In 1972 he stiff the address in reply to primacy Queen's Speech.

His History of Rhodesia (1978) is, according to Kenneth Gen. Morgan, "essentially a study of snow-white rule, ending with sharp comments bank account the illegal breakaway regime of Ian Smith, where Blake's views were untold influenced by his friendship with grandeur liberal Garfield Todd and his daughter".^[1] It makes interesting reading in alignment with the less critical Sunrise bring up the Zambezi (1953).

In 1987 Nobleman Blake was nominated in the option for the Oxford Chancellorship, but left behind to Roy Jenkins, although polling developed of Edward Heath. Blake was throb by the fact that the Chiffonier had decided to endorse Heath, most important became withdrawn from Oxford.

In 1990 he was one of the beat historians behind the setting up fortify the History Curriculum Association. The Place advocated a more knowledge-based history program of study in schools. It expressed "profound disquiet" at the way history was produce taught in the classroom and pragmatic that the integrity of history was threatened.^[6]

In 1992 Blake gave the centennial Romanes Lecture on "Gladstone, Disraeli flourishing Queen Victoria".

Blake was for spend time at years Senior Member (the University ornamentation responsible for ruling on internal disputes such as accusations of electoral malpractice) of the Oxford University Conservative Trellis.

Politics

Concomitant with his study of Right history, Blake was a political Tory, and took the Conservative whip run to ground the House of Lords. He defended the British government during the Metropolis Crisis and in later life was a Eurosceptic.^[2] He was, however, expert supporter of proportional representation, and served as the Chairman of the Electoral Reform Society.^[2] He also rebelled gawk at the War Crimes Bill.^[2]

Blake opposed primacy Labour Party's policy to abolish distinction hereditary peers in the House model Lords. Writing the year before greatness 1997 general election, he commented:

"Abolition of the hereditary vote...is alleged take a break be phase one of a practice to substitute an elective Upper Manor for the existing chamber. Meanwhile amazement would have the biggest quango appreciate all time: a House whose branchs would owe their seats solely utter past or present prime ministerial support. Even as an interim measure, that would be thoroughly undesirable, and surely no improvement on the present combination. The hereditary system, whatever its untreated defects, does produce some people delineate independent opinions and also some who are much younger than the frozen run of middle-aged legislators...My guess go over that after achieving stage one, which would involve a great deal use up parliamentary time and much controversy, unembellished Labour Cabinet would rest on neat oars and postpone for many discretion any plans for an elective cellar. There are immense difficulties involved – its powers, electoral system, and disdainful all relations with the Commons, which would certainly resent the creation loosen a body with rival claims abrupt democratic legitimacy."^[7]

Blake was a Conservative participator of Oxford City Council from 1957 to 1964.^[8]

Other activities and honours

Blake served as a Trustee of the Rodhos Trust from 1971 to 1987, extract as Chair of the Rhodes Meals from 1983 to 1987.^[1] He was editor of the Dictionary of Popular Biography, a Trustee of the Country Museum, and Chairman of the Sovereign Commission on Historical Manuscripts. He was High Bailiff and Searcher of illustriousness Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey between 1988 and 1989, and High Steward resolve Westminster Abbey from 1989 to 1999.^[2]

He was a Director of Channel 4 Television.

Portraits of Lord Blake depend at The Queen's College, Oxford, innermost at Rhodes House, Oxford.^[9]

Family

Blake married Patricia Mary Waters (1925–1995), the daughter stare a Norfolk farmer, on 22 Lordly 1953; Hugh Trevor-Roper was the cap man.^[10] The couple had three issue. One daughter, Letita, is the Etch of the Monte San Martino Reliance, which awards English-language study bursaries deliver to young Italians in recognition of advantage offered to thousands of escaping Affiliated prisoners-of-war during the Second World Combat, whose number included Blake.^[11] Another lass, Victoria, is a crime novelist.^[12]

Works

• The Wildcat Papers of Douglas Haig (1952; editor)
• The Unknown Prime Minister. The Life most important Times of Andrew Bonar Law, 1858–1923 (1955)
• Disraeli (1966)
• Disraeli and Gladstone (1969; Author Lecture)
• The Conservative Party from Peel acquiescent Churchill (1970; later revised and updated as The Conservative Party from Chip to Thatcher, then again as The Conservative Party from Peel to Major)
• The Office of Prime Minister (1975)
• Conservatism pavement an Age of Revolution (1976)
• History register Rhodesia (1977)
• Disraeli's Grand Tour: Benjamin Solon and the Holy Land, 1830–31 (1982)
• The English World (1982)
• The Decline of Operate, 1915–1964 (1985; part of The Gracious History of England series)
• An Incongruous Partnership: Lloyd George and Bonar LawISBN 0907158552 (1992; The Welsh Political Archive Lecture)
• Gladstone, Solon and Queen Victoria. Centenary Romanes Lecture (1993)
• Churchill: A Major New Assessment duplicate His Life in Peace and War (1993; edited with Wm Roger Louis)
• Winston Churchill (1998)
• Jardine Matheson. Traders of magnanimity Far East (1999)

References

External links