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"He
showed early on a sharp intellect, highly advanced powers of speech
and memory, and a clear interest in public affairs".
Not
a description of young William Hague but of William Pitt the Younger,
although the parallels are not lost on the reader.
Both
were prodigies.
Pitt
became Britain's youngest ever Prime Minister, at the remarkable
age of 24. Hague came to national prominence with a precocious speech
to the Conservative Party Conference while still a teenager.
But
while the MP for Richmond has temporarily stepped back from the
Front Bench - this, Hague's first book, is one of many interests
outside politics - Pitt went onto dominate British politics for
22 years, 19 of them as Prime Minister. He died aged 46 in 1806.
Hague
has a crisp, simple, yet entertaining style of writing and this
book is a great read because of the momentous subjects covered -
the loss of the American colonies, the madness of King George III
and the French Revolution are here in detail - and its unique central
character.
Reviewer:
Alastair Yeomans
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