author
George William Erskine Russell
1853–1919
Best remembered for lively memoirs and biographies, this Victorian man of letters brought politics, religion, and public life together in a voice that was both thoughtful and readable. His books are especially appealing for listeners who enjoy literary portraits of late 19th-century Britain.
6 Audiobooks
Fifteen Chapters of Autobiography
by George William Erskine Russell
Sydney Smith
by George William Erskine Russell
Matthew Arnold
by George William Erskine Russell
Collections and Recollections
by George William Erskine Russell
Prime Ministers and Some Others: A Book of Reminiscences
by George William Erskine Russell
Seeing and Hearing
by George William Erskine Russell
About the author
Born in London on February 3, 1853, George W. E. Russell was a British biographer, memoirist, and Liberal politician. He was educated at Harrow and at University College, Oxford, and later served as a Member of Parliament, moving between literary life and public service with unusual ease.
Alongside his political career, he built a strong reputation as a writer. Russell is particularly known for biographical and reflective works, including books such as Collections and Recollections and Portraits of the Seventies, where he wrote about the personalities, beliefs, and social world of his time in an accessible, conversational style.
He died on March 17, 1919. Today, he is remembered less as a party politician than as a graceful observer of English public life whose memoirs and sketches preserve the tone and character of the Victorian and Edwardian world.