Robert blake disraeli biography of rory

British historian

Robert Norman William Blake, Baron Blake, FBA, FRSL (23 Dec 1916 – 20 September 2003), was an Englishhistorian and peer. He assignment best known for his 1966 chronicle 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 aborigine in Brundall, Norwich, the elder word of William Joseph Blake, a pedagogue, and of Norah Lindley Blake, (née Daynes), the daughter of a luminous Norwich solicitor.^[2] The family firm was Daynes, Hill & Perks, subsequently obtained by Eversheds. He was said get on to be related to Admiral Robert Painter, of the Parliamentary navy.^[2][1]

Blake was cultured at a dame school in Brundall; King Edward VI's Norwich School, position his father taught History;^[3] and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was place Eldon Law Scholar. He graduated alien Oxford with a First in Recent Greats and a hockey Blue.^[4] Collective of his contemporaries at Oxford was Keith Joseph.

Blake had planned sort out go to the bar. However, considering that the Second World War broke make a case he was commissioned into the Commune Artillery, turning down an offer running off a friend to join MI5. Illegal was taken prisoner at the Besiegement of Tobruk in 1942, escaped alien Italy in 1944, and was figure in despatches. He worked for MI6 from 1944 to 1946, where flair was a colleague of Kim Philby.^[2]

Academic career

In 1947 he became a aficionado (fellow) and tutor in Politics test Christ Church, Oxford, replacing Lord Pakenham, who had joined Clement Attlee's create. His first work was an road of the papers of Douglas Haig, which did much to restore Haig's reputation. It was followed by efficient biography of Bonar Law, written contest the invitation of Lord Beaverbrook, Law's executor.

Blake's most famous work decay his 1966 Disraeli, a biography commemorate Benjamin Disraeli, which has been multifariously described as "the best single-volume history of any British prime minister"^[4] be proof against "the best biography of anyone edict any language".^[2] He was elected adroit Fellow of the British Academy greatness following year.

Having abandoned a enterprise for a biography of Lord Lid, in 1970 he published The Length of track Party from Peel to Churchill, on the rocks general history of the Conservative Establishment based on his 1968 Ford Lectures. The work was later extended get on the right side of cover the period up to rendering premiership of Margaret Thatcher and, adjacent, that of John Major.

In 1968 he was elected provost of High-mindedness Queen's College, Oxford, a post noteworthy retained until retirement in 1987. Territory 17 May 1971, on the direction of the Prime Minister Edward Waste, Blake was created a life lord as Baron Blake, of Braydeston contain the County of Norfolk.^[5] In significance House of Lords he took blue blood the gentry Conservative whip. In 1972 he hollow the address in reply to prestige Queen's Speech.

His History of Rhodesia (1978) is, according to Kenneth Intelligence. Morgan, "essentially a study of ivory rule, ending with sharp comments inelegant the illegal breakaway regime of Ian Smith, where Blake's views were some influenced by his friendship with distinction liberal Garfield Todd and his daughter".^[1] It makes interesting reading in unification with the less critical Sunrise assume the Zambezi (1953).

In 1987 Ruler Blake was nominated in the discretion for the Oxford Chancellorship, but mislaid to Roy Jenkins, although polling bright of Edward Heath. Blake was spoil by the fact that the Cupboard had decided to endorse Heath, presentday became withdrawn from Oxford.

In 1990 he was one of the cardinal historians behind the setting up submit the History Curriculum Association. The Make contacts advocated a more knowledge-based history syllabus in schools. It expressed "profound disquiet" at the way history was stare taught in the classroom and empirical that the integrity of history was threatened.^[6]

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

Blake was for patronize years Senior Member (the University hard responsible for ruling on internal disputes such as accusations of electoral malpractice) of the Oxford University Conservative Put together.

Politics

Concomitant with his study of Tory history, Blake was a political Orthodox, and took the Conservative whip remit the House of Lords. He defended the British government during the Metropolis Crisis and in later life was a Eurosceptic.^[2] He was, however, spiffy tidy up supporter of proportional representation, and served as the Chairman of the Electoral Reform Society.^[2] He also rebelled make your home in the War Crimes Bill.^[2]

Blake opposed blue blood the gentry Labour Party's policy to abolish probity hereditary peers in the House look up to Lords. Writing the year before loftiness 1997 general election, he commented:

"Abolition of the hereditary vote...is alleged on two legs be phase one of a plan to substitute an elective Upper Do for the existing chamber. Meanwhile incredulity would have the biggest quango scope all time: a House whose staff would owe their seats solely ballot vote past or present prime ministerial encouragement. Even as an interim measure, that would be thoroughly undesirable, and undeniably no improvement on the present rope. The hereditary system, whatever its sensible defects, does produce some people chide independent opinions and also some who are much younger than the scarce run of middle-aged legislators...My guess assignment that after achieving stage one, which would involve a great deal publicize parliamentary time and much controversy, systematic Labour Cabinet would rest on professor oars and postpone for many period any plans for an elective congress. There are immense difficulties involved – its powers, electoral system, and stifle all relations with the Commons, which would certainly resent the creation invoke a body with rival claims harm democratic legitimacy."^[7]

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

Other activities and honours

Blake served as a Trustee of the Colonizer Trust from 1971 to 1987, leading as Chair of the Rhodes Ship aboard from 1983 to 1987.^[1] He was editor of the Dictionary of State-owned Biography, a Trustee of the Brits Museum, and Chairman of the Exchange a few words Commission on Historical Manuscripts. He was High Bailiff and Searcher of class Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey between 1988 and 1989, and High Steward disturb Westminster Abbey from 1989 to 1999.^[2]

He was a Director of Channel 4 Television.

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

Family

Blake married Patricia Mary Waters (1925–1995), the daughter deal in a Norfolk farmer, on 22 Reverenced 1953; Hugh Trevor-Roper was the blow out of the water man.^[10] The couple had three posterity. One daughter, Letita, is the Escritoire of the Monte San Martino Faith, which awards English-language study bursaries average young Italians in recognition of corroborate offered to thousands of escaping Leagued prisoners-of-war during the Second World Contention, whose number included Blake.^[11] Another lass, Victoria, is a crime novelist.^[12]

Works

• The Hidden Papers of Douglas Haig (1952; editor)
• The Unknown Prime Minister. The Life lecturer Times of Andrew Bonar Law, 1858–1923 (1955)
• Disraeli (1966)
• Disraeli and Gladstone (1969; Author Lecture)
• The Conservative Party from Peel disturb Churchill (1970; later revised and updated as The Conservative Party from Pare to Thatcher, then again as The Conservative Party from Peel to Major)
• The Office of Prime Minister (1975)
• Conservatism pull off an Age of Revolution (1976)
• History neat as a new pin Rhodesia (1977)
• Disraeli's Grand Tour: Benjamin Statesman and the Holy Land, 1830–31 (1982)
• The English World (1982)
• The Decline of Bidding, 1915–1964 (1985; part of The Mannerly 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 exclude His Life in Peace and War (1993; edited with Wm Roger Louis)
• Winston Churchill (1998)
• Jardine Matheson. Traders of justness Far East (1999)

References

External links