Anthony F. Seldon MA, PhD, FRSA, MBA, FRHistS is a political commentator best known as Tony Blairs biographer and the Master of Wellington College, Berkshire He is the son of the economist Arthur Seldon Educated at Tonbridge School and a graduate of Worcester College, Oxford Seldon later went on to study at King's College London the London School of Economics and the University of Westminster He served as head of politics and sixth form at Whitgift School from 1983-89, head of history and general studies at Tonbridge School 1989-93, deputy headmaster of St. Dunstan's College 1993-97 and headmaster of Brighton College 1997-2005.lt;/ref> He is currently the 13th Master of Wellington College, Berkshire where he has introduced co-education in all years and pledged to return the school to the top academic division. It is for his writing as Tony Blairs biographer that Professor Seldon is best known. His biographies The Blair Effect(1997-01 and 2001-05) and Blair(in cooperation with which a Channel 4 documentary was made) are authoritative works, though were unauthorised and access to Blair was strictly curtailed once the editorial direction of the book was ascertained. On 5 November 2007 he published Blair Unbound(ISBN 978-1847370785). Professor Seldon appears regularly in the national press and has written or edited many other books, including the Thatcher Effect Britain under Thatcher(with Daniel Collings), Major, A Political Life Number 10: the illustrated history and he has also co-authored an illustrated history of the Conservative Party (UK) (with Peter Snowdon , which includes a foreword by Michael Howard His books on 10 Downing Street and John Major are the official biographies. Professor Seldon founded, with Peter Hennessy the Institute of Contemporary British History. He also organises annual education conferences at Wellington College for state and independent schools, which in the past have included guest speakers such as David Willetts Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis and Christopher Woodhead In 2006, Professor Seldon introduced Happiness Classes (or positive psychology to Wellington College because he wanted pupils to focus both positive and negative emotions in a constructive and healthy way. The classes run weekly for those in the 14 - 16 age bracket. The classes offer skills on how to manage relationships, physical and mental health as well as how to achieve ambitions. They are taken by the colleges religious education staff, headed by Ian Morris. Professor Seldon, says the lessons would complement rather than replace religion and are proving to be popular. In 2007, Seldon was given a Chair at The College of Teachers as Professor of Education. The College of Teachers awarded Englands first Professorial Chair of Education to Joseph Payne in 1872.

Videos

* http://www.cerium.ca/article944.html#ouverture Tony Blair in History] Anthony Seldon summarizes his view of Tony Blairs accomplishments and challenges at this video online opening a conference on eight years of Blair government, in May 2006 &

See also

* Nick Baylis

References and notes

Category:Living people Category:Old Tonbridgians Category:Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics Category:Alumni of the University of Westminster Category:English biographers Category:British historians Category:Year of birth missing (living people)