Edwardian Conservatism: Five Studies in Adaptation

Conservatism is not an ideology but a frame of mind, an outlook, a general approach, grounded in temperament, psychology, economic interest, or any combination of these factors. Attempts to analyse it largely in terms of a written body of carefully formulated and coherent thought in the same way that communism or Christianity are analysed is inappropriate. They fail to account for how readily conservatism takes on the coloration of time, place, or personality. First published in 1988, Edwardian Conservatism examines forms of conservatism prevalent in Edwardian England. It discusses the areas that have been closest to heart of most conservatives--including the church, the Army, and the law--and discusses their importance in the work and lives of figures as diverse as Lord Hugh Cecil and Lord Roberts. The chapters give a picture of a traditional world attempting to adapt to modernity. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of British history.

J.A. Thompson, at the time of the first publication, was Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, USA.

Arthur Mejia was Professor of History. He was a member of San Francisco’s Bohemian Club, Pacific-Union Club and University Club. A former director of the California Historical Society and trustee of the Anglo-California Foundation, he served at the time of his death as a director for the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society and the city’s branch of the English-Speaking Union.