Anthony Eden /

A disappointing work. For this biography Rhodes James disowns the adjective ``definitive'' (though the dust jacket claims just that). Unhappily, the bibliography offers no guide to what Eden papers the author actually used. The preface explains what was burned, the text explains what never existed. For the early years, Rhodes James's account is an important supplement to Eden's own Another World (CH, Mar '78). There is much not previously published about Eden's private life. About the fateful Suez episode there is a great deal of information, but it is much mishandled. For example, no date is given for Eisenhower's important letter (on or after July 31, 1956). There is also no answer to a basic question: if US support was crucial and Eisenhower's opposition known in advance, why go ahead with Suez; if US support was not crucial, why not complete what was begun? Historical errors abound, e.g., 1900 was not peacetime, and the election of that year did not see an improvement on Conservative results in the previous election; the coup in Czechoslovakia and the Berlin airlift occurred in 1948, not 1947. Too many misspellings, omitted negatives, and excessive repetitions suggest a work dictated at intervals and never properly revised. Illustrations; inadequate bibliography.-B. McGill, Oberlin College

Anthony Eden is known primarily as the British prime minister brought down by his country's ignoble action in the 1956 Suez crisis, when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, and, consequently, Israel, France, and Great Britain invaded Egyptian territory. This official biography, written at the behest of Eden's widow, goes far beyond that one event to arrive at an assessment of the man and the politician. Rhodes James bases his self-acknowledged ``sympathetic, but not uncritical'' treatment on lengthy research into primary documents. After gracefully assembling the facts of Eden's life and career, he concludes that, contrary to some historical opinion, deep substance in the man stood behind his refined surface. Select bibliography and index. BH. 941.085'5 (B) Eden, Anthony, Earl of Avon / Prime ministers Great Britain Biography / Great Britain Foreign relations 1936-1945 / Great Britain Foreign relations 1945- / Great Britain Politics and government 1936-1945 / Great Britain Politics and government 1945-1964 [OCLC] 87-2940

Eden was Neville Chamberlain's foreign secretary in the 1930s, held the same position under Churchill during World War II and succeeded the latter as prime minister in 1955. Asked by Eden's widow to undertake the project, Jamesa distinguished historian (The British Revolution, etc.) and member of Parliamentwas given access to Eden's private papers, including revealing correspondence with Churchill. The biography sheds new light on Eden's 1938 resignation over Chamberlain's policy of appeasement; his contribution to the 1954 Geneva conference (James argues that Eden ``virtually single-handedly'' kept America out of a war in Indochina); and examines the full context of Eden's controversial leadership during the Suez crisis of 1956. A sympathetic but not uncritical portrayal of a complex figure who ``brought honor and dignity, kindness and loyalty to the often grubby trade of politics.'' Photos. Major ad/promo; History Book Club selection. (July 27) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Eden long has been something of an enigma, thanks in large measure to his meteoric political rise and sad fall as the biggest casualty of the 1956 Suez crisis. Thanks to the efforts of James, who must rank among the most gifted of modern British biographers, we now have a vivid, convincing portrait of the ``Golden Boy'' of postwar British politics. Drawing heavily on Eden's personal papers and his own intimate knowledge of the period, the author presents a balanced, credible life which cannot fail to intrigue anyone with an interest in Eden and his milieu. It becomes the standard life. Highly recommended. History Book Club selection.James A. Casada, History Dept., Winthrop Coll., Rock Hill, S.C. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.