One layer was certainly 17th century. The 18th century in him is obvious. There was the 19th century, and a large slice, of course, of the 20th century; and another, curious layer which may possibly have been the 21st.

After a period of time fighting in Gallipoli he became ill with dysentery and was sent to a hospital in Malta to recover. After recovering from his injuries he was sent to France in June 1918 to serve on the Western Front for the final months of the war. Attlee stood in the subsequent leadership election held in October 1935 where he was opposed by Herbert Morrison and Arthur Greenwood.

Highly regarded both historically and today in 2004 he was voted the greatest British Prime Minister of the 20th Century by a poll of 139 academics organised by Ipsos MORI. After leading Labour to victory again in 1950 he resigned as Prime Minister following a narrow election defeat in 1951. In 1945 the coalition government was dissolved and Attlee led Labour to win a huge majority in the ensuing general election.