2001 Twenty-Five Years 1892-1916 Volume I, by Viscount Grey of Fallodon, K.G. (read 10 May 1986)
2002 Twenty-Five Years 1892-1916 Volume II, by Viscount Grey of Fallodon, K.G. (read 11 May 1986)
These two volumes are Grey's account of his time dealing with foreign affairs for Britain. He was Foreign Minister from 1906 to 1916. I thought his defense of his acts as Foreign Minister convincing. Albertini reprimands Grey severely for not telling Berlin and Vienna that England would fight--Albertini says if Germany had known this it would not have started the war. Grey says until Germany invaded Belgium he did not know if England would join the war. Much of these two volumes deals with things not too current, and I suppose except for his account of pre-war diplomacy in 1914 these books would not be significant. But I rather liked the books, and Grey. He seems an OK guy: "More and more, as the years went on, I chafed at the life of restraint. Within grasp, if I chose to leave office, was life in a country home, and leisure for books, endless opportunities for observing the natural life of birds and beasts, the beauty of trees, the delights of a garden, the ever-varying and ever-recurring seasons, leisure for sport and exercise. For me there would be no want of occupation; the mind would be active outwardly and inwardly..." I'd like to read a good biography of Sir Edward Grey, born about 1862 and died in 1933. ( )