Benjamin Disraeli (December 21, 1804-April 19, 1881), British Conservative politician, writer, served two terms as Prime Minister and was a key figure in the creation of the Suez Canal. Disraeli's trilogy of political-historical novels were overt prescriptions for Britain's continuing world-power status. Sybil; or, The Two Nations (1845), the middle volume of the three was the more realistic, less idealistic work. Coningsby; or, The New Generation (1844) and Tancred; or, The New Crusade (1847) bookended this triple examination of the state and future of Britain.