A NEW book about the life of one of Gwynedd’s most famous sons asks if he was a scoundrel.

The biography by former teacher Richard Wilkinson examines the life of the talented and, according to the author’s findings, also flawed Lloyd George.

From creating pension schemes and national insurance, to giving votes to women and, of course, leading Britain to victory in the First World War, Lloyd George contributed an enormous amount to Britain and British Politics.

In Winston Churchill’s words Lloyd George was “the greatest Welshman that unconquerable race has produced since the age of the Tudors...When the English history of the first quarter of the twentieth century is written, it will be seen that the greater part of our fortunes in peace and war were shaped by this one man.”

While Lloyd George did contribute immensely to British politics and endeavoured to be a social reformer, his actions and his character are strewn with flaws, as this biography, Lloyd George: Statesman or Scoundrel, hopes to show.

In it, Richard Wilkson makes full use of the rich archival material available, and seeks to provide a balanced critical analysis of this powerful and enigmatic figure.

Wilkinson adopts an interrogative and questioning tone while providing a wide range of sources and evidence that result in a rational and unprejudiced biography.

The book’s release coincides with the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War when Lloyd George, in one of his greatest moments, led Britain to victory.

For this he will forever be ingrained in British history and this biography captures the man in all his successes and failures.

Richard Wilkinson is the author of Louis XIV and a contributor to History Today.

Dr J Graham Jones, former head of the Welsh Political Archive at the National Library of Wales, is full of praise for his book.

He said: “Richard Wilkinson has penned a highly readable study which makes full use of the available rich archival material.

“The author has fully entered into the spirit of the man, fully comprehending the manifold complexities of a unique human being and public figure who undoubtedly made a towering contribution to the development of Britain.”

Lloyd George: Statesman or Scoundrel by Richard Wilkinson is published in hardback - ISBN 978-1-78076-389-7.

Read the full story in the latest north editions of the Cambrian News