This is a highly readable biography of Sir Graham Latimer. It tracks Sir Graham's life from his humble beginnings to the setbacks and triumphs of his shrewd public career. Harrison's biography evokes the far north of New Zealand pre-World War II, the shocking J Force occupation of Japan and the salient Maori political issues of post-World War II New Zealand. For decades Sir Graham has managed to navigate New Zealand's stormy political seas. He is a former Maori vice-president of the National Party who is now asked for opinions and support by various senior politicians, including Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark. Harrison's biography explores the nature of leadership: sometimes it can prosper through paradox, and the whole can be surprisingly different from the sum of its parts.