Edmund Burke: The Visionary Who Invented Modern Politics

"In spite of the hazards, a number of serving Tory MPs, with plenty to play for politically, have managed to write highly readable history books that are not brazen vehicles of self-promotion. Jesse Norman (currently deciding whether or not to join the Tory leadership contest) has written a biography of Edmund Burke that fits into this category. The book is divided into two sections, one covering Burke’s life, the second his thought. In conclusion he offers six lessons Burke has to teach modern conservatism. There is an inevitable and unashamed element of hagiography about the exercise, and one can well imagine the six lessons providing the bedrock for Norman’s assault on the leadership of the Tory party, but the whole effect is not at all laboured. His new book about Adam Smith is out now. We haven’t read it yet, but we will."