"Haldane - the Forgotten Statesman" by John Campbell

[Moonraker]

In yesterday's Sunday Times "Culture" supplement, there's a review by Max Hastings of this new book, with the claim in the headline that "Few remember Robert Haldane today. But this statesman outshines all modern British politicians". (Do NOT debate!)

 

He is perhaps best known to us for his reforms of the British Army of 1908, including the creation of the Territorial Force. "An admiring general wrote 'of the jungle filled with hissing adders which Haldane broke up into a symmetrical and delectable garden'."  (I wonder who the general was?)

 

I learnt from the review that in 1912 Haldane, as Lord Chancellor, had led an unsuccessful peace mission to Germany and during the war was the victim of press campaigns vilifying him as a German stooge, with his being dismissed from the Government in 1915. (Perhaps he was unwise to have named his dog "Kaiser"?)

 

Hastings observes that "Campbell's book is not a biography but rather an act of homage".

 

Published by Hurst at £30, 616 pages. Due to be released on July 16.

[David Filsell]

In fairness to Falklands Max he makes the point in his review that Haldane is not in fact forgotten.