Author Description

In An Appetite for Power John Ramsden – head of history at Queen Mary and Westfield College – has synthesized a life-time’s research, expertise and knowledge to write a authoritative reinterpretation of the Conservative Party from its formation as an identifiable political entity in 1714 until the present day, including the disastrous 1997 election and the current confusion in which it still finds itself. In many ways the book is a political history of the last three centuries of British history. Ramsden’s descriptions of the personalities – from Peel to Disraeli to Thatcher and John Major – and accounts of the great political debates, divisions and intrigue give a clear insight into the nature of politics and politicians over nearly three centuries. He concludes his book with a chapter on the lessons the Party must learn from its history if it is to regain its credibility as an electoral force.