'Dick Leonard's Nineteenth Century Premiers is a tour de force - exciting to read, often funny, and full of penetrating insights as well as revealing and sometimes hilarious anecdotes. In each chapter, Leonard manages to weave the political activities and achievements of his subjects together with deft and sympathetic accounts of their private lives and personal characteristics. Taken together they provide a panoramic view of British nineteenth century political history as a whole. It will be invaluable to university students of politics and history, and general readers will find it a mine of often surprising information, presented with clarity and brio.' - Professor David Marquand, University of Oxford, UK
'Dick Leonard's new book is concise, accessible and authoritative, breathing new life into the strange assortment of characters who held the office of prime minister in a fascinating period of British politics.' - Dr Mark Garnett, University of Lancaster, UK