Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook; press baron, lumberman, financier; was not an easy man to like, he was ambitious to the point of being ruthless, he demanded attention, he wanted to be the kingpin. He had a strong loyalty to the British Empire. And he worked hard to establish a free trade pact among the countries of the empire. He was generous to his home province, New Brunswick, and build rinks and other community buildings; a world class art gallery and added much to the University of New Brunswick. He is an interesting man who made his own way from rags to riches.

David Adams Richards’ approach to this biography is not that of telling the life story of Beaverbrook. Rather he focuses on the character traits of the man and relates events in his life that support them. In particular he focuses on Beaverbrook’s activities during World War’s I and II. But regardless of what he accomplished he was seen as a colonial, and dismissed by much of British society. ( )