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Acknowledgements

I want to acknowledge the great debt I owe to Larry Siedentop’s fine essay on De Tocqueville (Oxford University Press, 1994) and his learned and lively Democracy in Europe, every page of which only served to confirm me in my belief that without an aristocratic dimension that noble ideal can never be realised. Siedentop himself, it needs to be said, reaches no such conclusion. Aristocracy is dismissed as a thing of the past. But it is often an embarrassing mark of a great work, such as his, to have unintended consequences.

I also want to thank Professor Vernon Bogdanor, of Brasenose College, Oxford, Edward Skidelsky and Derwent May for their very great kindness in reading my book and making invaluable suggestions. In no way, however, should their kindness allow them to be saddled with any responsibility for my conclusions.

And most important of all I want to pay tribute to my secretary, Claire Allan, whose patience, mastery of the computer, wise advice and encouragement have smoothed my path at every turn. The librarians at the London Library, too, have been unfailingly helpful, well beyond the call of duty.

Thanks are also due to Caroline Michel and Michael Fishwick, of Harper Collins, for not being put off by an unfashionable theme, and to Catherine Heaney and Kate Hyde for so cheerfully and efficiently getting the book into print.

And apologies to my wife for any embarrassment caused.