Lady Gwendolen Cecil (1860–1945)

Best "1st hand" account of Salisbury. Many amusing personal anecdotes. Usually portrayed as a moody depressive, he comes off looking like a fun guy. Supreme diplomat, he handles all with aplomb, including his "boss" the aged, somewhat cranky, and sometimes downright unreasonable Queen Victoria. Ahead of his time, he is a technology nut, insisting on unreliable newfangled electrical lighting, with sometimes catastrophic results; and engages his children intellectually by playing devil's advocate whenever they presented their ideas to him. So much for the Victorian maxim of "seen and not heard"! Gwendolen's assessment of her dad's politics and views on such things as empire are perhaps a little skewed. Read this. He comes across as very human. You will like him.… (mehr)