Given his outsize personality and the circumstances of his rise to power, it is surprising that there are not more biographies of George Canning than there are. Of those that exist, Wendy Hinde's is easily the best, thanks to her use of Canning's correspondence and her efforts to integrate Canning's life into the dramatic times in which he lived. Her biography is an account of an improbable career, one that foreshadowed the factor of popular politics that would become so important as the century wore on. While Hinde doesn't address this as thoroughly as she should have, this is nonetheless a solid work, one that is an essential starting point for anyone interested in learning about this fascinating figure. ( )

This is an excellent, well written political biography of Canning, who while he served only a few months as Prime Minister, was influential in British government for almost four decades. This is a quite detailed biography and yet is focused on the political figure, providing just brief glimpses of his personal life. However, this does not take away at all from the value of the text; by zeroing in on the political life Ms HInde is able to explore in great detail the nuances of British politics from the mid-1790's till Canning's death in 1827.

The reader should be forewarned however that the author has written for those with a good grasp of British history of the period as well as a deep understanding of British parliamentary procedures. Even with the ability to access many resources via the Internet, the less well-informed reader will still be challenged to understand some details, however this should not be seen as a disincentive but rather something that would encourage the diligent reader to obtain a greater understanding of these times. Certainly the quality of the writing will be of great help, as well as the author's subtle humor and clearly stated prose. ( )