The Rainmaker A Biography of John Ballance Journalist and Politician 1839-1893. By Timothy McIvor. SIGNED BY AUTHOR

The Rainmaker A Biography of John Ballance Journalist and Politician 1839-1893. By Timothy McIvor. SIGNED BY AUTHOR with gift inscription to previous owner.

Publisher: Heinemann Reed, Auckland, New Zealand, 1989, First Edition. Very good hardback with jacket. Some rubbing and bumping to edges, name to ffep, minor marks. Jacket has light edgewear and a faded spine. Black and White Plates, illustrations, map, Ballance family tree, 290 pages.

'At the time of his death in 1893 John Ballance was the most popular prime minister New Zealand had known. His funeral was attended by thousands. Dubbed "The Rainmaker", he had brought prosperity and hope to the country after years of depression. Born in Belfast in 1839, Ballance emigrated to New Zealand, later founding the Wanganui Herald. At the age of 36 he entered Parliament, becoming Colonial Treasurer after only two years. In 1890 he led the New Zealand Liberal Party to victory for the first time, in an election that marked the beginning of party politics as we know it today. Piloting his government through two stormy years, he democratised the political system- making it more responsive to the needs of the people- and promoted New Zealand's independence from Britain. A man of considerable honesty, integrity and compassion, he held together a cabinet of strong, disparate personalities, including Richard Seddon, who was to succeed him as premier and to some extent overshadow him. Until now historians have virtually ignored John Ballance; he has been a shadowy figure, occasionally flitting across the stage of New Zealand history. This fascinating and meticulously researched biography, published on the 150th anniversary of his birth, reinstates him as one of the major political leaders in New Zealand's past'