Arthur J Balfour

R. J. Q. Adams, whose first book was an excellent biography of Andrew Bonar Law, has just published a biography of another Scot who became prime minister. Balfour: The Last Grandee looks like a fine book and is the first biography of AJB since Max Egremont's in 1980. Adams' tome, of course, includes a substantial account of Balfour's year as Secretary for Scotland from 1886-87.

There's a good review of Balfour: The Last Grandee by (Sir) David Gilmour in The Times, and another by George Rosie in the most recent Sunday Herald. Last week's Spectator also has a review by Philip Ziegler.