Most of us were brought up on Burke; not many of us realize that our staunchest defender, back in our Colonial infancy, was William Pitt, member of the House, Prime Minister, in office and out. This is a biography -- and a rattling good one. It sounded dull to me. There's not a dull page in it. It is alive with the spirit of the times, with the personalities, the scandals, the nuances -- and the humanity of William Pitt himself. First rate follow-up reading on Quennel's life of Caroline, who was queen in Pitt's youth. Well paced, informal and yet authentic. Well documented, with bibliography, index and fifty illustrations.