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Cover of The Duke of Portland
Book details

The Duke of Portland

politics and party in the age of George III

by Wilkinson, David.

Published 2003197 pagesISBN 978-0-3339-6385-2

"David Wilkinson's analysis carefully dismantles many popular misconceptions about political life in this period, and breaks new ground in examining Portland's later career. After a protracted period of soul-searching, the Duke joined forces with his old enemy Pitt in 1794. As Home Secretary he was responsible for public order during serious wartime shortages, and for the repression of radicalism. Portland was in charge of domestic secret service operations and played a key role both in preventing revolution in Britain as well as suppressing rebellion in Ireland. His Irish policies are thoroughly reassessed, not only in the well-known controversies over the Catholic question in 1795 and 1807, but also in the light of dramatic new evidence that reveals how and why illegal methods were used to obtain the Union in 1800. Ranging from politics to ideology, and from patronage to corruption, this biography provides fascinating insights into British history in the age of George III."--BOOK JACKET.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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What the reading experience may hold

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Themes to notice

Nonfiction

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Content notes

Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Dark tone · Measured pace

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

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ToneDark
LuminousDark

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Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

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PeakRelative emotional intensity
The Duke of PortlandWilkinson, David.
Powerful5/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA shorter read197 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2003
Primary categoryNonfictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-3339-6385-2
Language
English
Edition record
OL3562605M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.

Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
  2. Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
  3. How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.