Campbell has produced a work of real scholarship. He rejects the traditional chronology to paint a portrait in words, first choosing a broad brush for Haldane’s private life and philosophy, then a finer one for the detail of his career. A disadvantage of this structure is that Horner sadly disappears after chapter three, while Haldane himself first dies in chapter seven (but resurrects).
Campbell sets out to “put Haldane back on the map as a major statesman of continuing relevance”. This advocacy means readers may not discover why Haldane’s colleagues saw him as an “intriguer” or why he forced the illiberal Official Secrets Act through Parliament in 1911. Only historians may see that as a toppling offence; for the rest Campbell makes his case for a statue well, and vacant plinths may soon abound.