A statesman who reinvented himself

Christopher Hibbert is a publishing phenomenon. Now 80 or thereabouts, he has published at least 37 books, mainly on British history. You name it, Hibbert has written a book on it — from Charles I to the Marlboroughs, from Napoleon and his Women to Queen Victoria. Hibbert is rarely interviewed, but his books are always well-received and, to judge from the shelves of W. H. Smith, they certainly sell. How does he do it?

Take this latest life of Disraeli. Hibbert has done none of the things that modern biographers are supposed to do. He has not spent time laboriously transcribing documents in the archives, nor has he slogged around the country retracing his hero’s footsteps. He doesn’t really attempt to explain Disraeli’s politics. Nor does he speculate on Dizzy’s sex life. On the contrary, he keeps well away from Disraeli’s bedroom. This is biography lite. All the same, the book is a thoroughly enjoyable read.