An authoritative, comprehensive and detailed biography of Milner, and one that is, as far as I can tell, truthful and balanced. I believe some have disagreed, but that judgement is beyond my competence. I appreciated learning about the man and his times, although on a personal level sometimes found the book tedious as I wasn't really invested in the politics that were the mainstay of Milner’s life. However, that’s me and not the fault of the book, which was clearly and accessibly written, and has been thoroughly and meticulously researched.

Who has heard of Milner? I would suspect not many people today however, he was a remarkable man who was born in Victorian times of a modest background who rose to high rank in the nobility and the senior levels of government. He was instrumental in changing the course of history in South Africa and sowed the seeds of the formation of the Commonwealth as we know it today. He was single minded, taciturn and charming at the same time; unmarried until his late 60’s and well-travelled, his influence in the War Cabinet during the latter half of the First World War, is recognised as crucial to England’s survival and winning the war over Germany.
This is another book that lifts and publicises an aspect of one mans’ history that affected world events.