Lord Palmerston is a memoir by Trollope, written between November 1881 and February 1882, the last year of the author's life. This work offers the modern reader a vivid impression of Palmerston's character and career, as seen by Trollope, to whom Lord Palmerston was one of the heroes.

Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) was an English novelist, renowned for his nuanced depictions of the social dynamics of Victorian society. He was a prolific writer with a notable career in the British Post Office alongside his literary endeavors. One of the most respected novelists of the 19th century, Trollope's understanding of the human psyche and institutions is evident in the rich tapestry of characters that populate his novels. His oeuvre consists of more than forty novels, including the Chronicles of Barsetshire and the Palliser series, which critically and satirically addressed the clerical aristocracy and political scene of his time, respectively. His standalone work 'Lord Palmerston' is one of his non-fiction attempts to provide a detailed and insightful view on the life and political career of the eponymous nineteenth-century British statesman, Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston. Trollope's literary style is marked by a realistic narrative that often includes an omniscient narrator who offers social commentary and direct addresses to the reader. He is celebrated not only for his realism and strong characterizations but also for his acute observations of the contemporary social and political milieu. Trollope's contributions to literature have been acknowledged by literary scholars and he is often cited as a bridge between the domestic sagas of early Victorian literature and the emphasis on psychological depth and moral ambiguity found in later Victorian works.