Synopses & Reviews
William Pitt the elder was a complex, controversial, and ambiguous statesman, an enigma to contemporaries and historians alike. Although he was acclaimed in his own lifetime as a great war leader, revisionist scholarship in the past two decades has suggested that his contribution to British success has been exaggerated. This in-depth, annotated bibliography provides a valuable guide to this complex statesman. The work begins with a short biography of Pitt and a chronology of his life, and then provides exhaustive coverage of both primary and secondary sources. Chapters include a survey of manuscript sources, coverage of relevant newspaper articles, historiographical materials, and an extensive compendium of historical and biographical works on Pitt, his achievements, and his place in history. The work is fully indexed.
Review
This excelent bibliography, encompassing Pitt's life and times, includes unpublished personal papers, compilations of published papers, speeches, and Pitt's published writings. Most citations are annotated. The author is known for his writings about British statesmen. Highly recommended.Choice
Review
Congratulations are in order: to Greenwood Press for sponsoring a bibliographies in British statesmen series, and to Schweizer for compiling a bibliography that will have enduring value. The work belongs in every college and university library.Albion
Synopsis
This exhaustive, in-depth bibliography provides a valuable guide to William Pitt the elder, the first earl of Chatham, one of Britain's most complex statesmen.
About the Author
KARL W. SCHWEIZER is Professor of History at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.