`Wendy Hinde has used the new material to produce a life which is not only the best book on Canning which has yet appeared, but one that will not easily be surpassed. She has performed admirably the fundamental task of all political biography: how to combine a clear and satisfactory account of the historical context with a vivid and convincing portrait of a personality...this is a satisfying and valuable book.'Norman Gash, New Statesman `Miss Hinde manages the eternal compromise of biography: striking the right balance between the central character and background events, with great skill.'Leslie Mitchell, THES Miss Hinde's book is a distinguished work of historical biography. Its scholarship seems to me faultless and its narrative power considerable.'Roy Jenkins, Observer `This life of George Canning is the best of those that have been produced about this remarkable statesman...it is most enjoyable and instructive to read.'Lord Butler, The Times `Altogether this is an ambitious project, well executed, and an admirable biography of one of Britain's more attractive statesmen.'TLS From the age of Pitt to the age of Peel, Canning dominated British politics. A gifted orator and debator, he towered above his rivals in the House of Commons. M.P. at twenty-three, Foreign Secretary at thirty-seven, and Prime Minister at fifty-seven, Canning ranks among the most distinguished statesmen in history. Few can fail to be fascinated by this compelling and controversial figure.