'As this excellent book powerfully shows, he was a man of exceptional broad-mindedness, moral (and physical) courage, realistic wisdom happily married to idealism, admired and almost revered by major figures in Europe, and driven by a highly positive dynamism, all inspired by a passionate longing for, simply, a better world...' 'A great strength of this book is the fact that ... Read moreabout 40% of it is made up of quotations - most from Smuts's own writings and speeches, but many uttered by leading British and European figures who knew him, and some by members of his family. The author mostly allows the characters to speak for themselves, which gives his account great solidity. A fascinating and inspiring read.'
David Pike The Wittnes 20100922 'This excellent book by Anthony Lentin is in a series which concentrates on the men (including Smuts) who shaped the Paris Peace Conference after the First World War. Lentin not only describes Smuts' contribution in Paris, but he also outlines his life from farm boy of the Western Cape to his state funeral in Pretoria 80 years later. Lentin does this in less than 200 pages (excluding references and the index), which is a tribute to his clear, elegant and economical English style.'
James Barber South African Journal of International Affairs Show Less