Augustine Birrell

Augustine Birrell Biography

Discover the fascinating biography and a collection of 5 Augustine Birrell books available for free download on your favorite devices. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad, Android, or Kindle, you can enjoy these literary treasures in PDF and all popular eBook reader formats, including AZW3, EPUB, and MOBI.

Augustine Birrell (1850–1933) was an English author, lawyer, and Liberal politician renowned for his wit and literary style. Born in Wavertree, Liverpool, he studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and later qualified as a barrister. Birrell gained prominence through his essays, particularly his 1888 collection, Obiter Dicta, which showcased his keen intellect and charm.

In politics, Birrell served as Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1907 to 1916, during a turbulent period marked by the Irish Home Rule debates and the Easter Rising of 1916. While his tenure was initially praised for its conciliatory approach, it ended in controversy following the uprising.

Birrell also wrote extensively on literature and history, producing works such as Life of Charlotte Brontë and Selected Essays and Addresses. His legacy endures as both a sharp-witted essayist and a significant, though polarizing, figure in Irish and British political history.