John Bright: Statesman, Orator, Agitator

John Bright was one of the greatest British statesmen of the 19th century: in a series of Punch cartoons in 1878, Bright featured alongside Disraeli and Gladstone as the three greatest politicians of the age. However, his impressive contribution to British politics and society has been virtually forgotten in the modern world. Bright played a critical role in many of the most important political movements of the Victorian era - most notably, the Anti-Corn Law League, which he founded with Richard Cobden in 1838 and which played a significant role in obtaining the abolition of the Corn Laws in 1846. He was also a vehement opponent of capital punishment and supported free trade, electoral reform, and religious freedom. He was internationally renowned as an excellent speaker and a copy of one of his speeches was found in the pocket of Abraham Lincoln on the day of his assassination. In this new biography, the first in more than 30 years, Bill Cash provides an incisive and engaging portrait of a man who influenced the politics of his generation more than virtually any other. It will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in Victorian politics and society.