Sybil, or The Two Nations is one of the finest novels to depict the social problems of class-ridden Victorian England. The book's publication in 1845 created a sensation, for its immediacy and readability brought the plight of the working classes sharply to the attention of the reading public. The "two nations" of the alternative title are the rich and poor, so disparate in their opportunities and living conditions, and so hostile to each other, that they seem almost to belong to different countries. The gulf between them is given a poignant focus by the central romantic...

The best-known quotes and reflections of Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Disraeli was one of the least orthodox of Prime Ministers. He was an adventurer who fought his way to 'the top of the greasy pole' in a blaze of controversy, and became Queen Victoria's favourite statesman. He was a novelist and a wit as well as politician. He was a brilliant orator. Like Byron he was both a romantic and a cynic. His aphorisms have become part of the discourse of political life. This collection is based on his novels, letters and speeches. He was...