Less well-known in this country than in Great Britain, Benjamin Disraeli was a leading politician and statesman in the Victorian period. Appropriately, Adam Kirsch introduces him by referring to novels published during his political career, by George Eliot and Anthony Trollope. Disraeli was himself a novelist.

The other pertinent factor about the novels mentioned was that they both had a Jew as a central character. “Disraeli’s Jewishness was the central fact about him, the thing no one could ever forget or ignore.” Kirsch goes on to trace the history of Jews in England. They had been banished in 1290, and the English had very little actual knowledge of them.

Overt religious prejudice was not much in evidence by Disraeli’s day, but there was scorn for the stereotype of poor Jewish peddlers. On the other hand, there were a few very rich English Jewish families like the Rothschilds.

Disraeli was very proud, and invented a family history of Spanish land owners, forced to leave in the fifteenth century. Benjamin’s grandfather had slightly changed the name from “Israeli” to “D’Israeli” when he moved to England. Benjamin’s family members were not observant Jews, and his father had him baptized as a Christian when he was 13, along with his sister and brothers. Aside from any spiritual effect, this mattered because until 1858, British members of Parliament were required to take an oath containing the words “the true faith of a Christian.”

In spite of several successful novels and his service in government, Disraeli had financial difficulties until a friend left him her fortune. He was talented and good-looking, as well as ambitious. Even at the height of his power, however, he remained something of an outsider. Although he supported the dream of Zionism, he did not see himself as a Jewish leader. His interest and energy went to furthering the cause of British dominance.

After several attempts, he was elected to Parliament in 1837. He gradually became a leader in the Conservative Party and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1852 and 1858. When the conservatives were in power briefly, he was Prime Minister in 1868. After political set-backs, when his party returned to leadership in 1874, he became Prime Minister again. He was made an earl in 1876, and thereafter led in the House of Lords.

He left office in 1880 and died in 1881. He was a fascinating character, with an extraordinary career. Kirsch has written an absorbing account of his life and world, creating an informative and “readable” biography.

Benjamin Disraeli is available at the Mary Willis Library.