William Pitt The Younger, one of the most extraordinary figures in British history, became Prime Minister in 1783 at the remarkable age of 24. In this lively and authoritative biography, William Hague explains the dramatic events and exceptional abilities which allowed extreme youth to be combined with great power.

Pitt was derided as a 'schoolboy' when he took office. Yet within months he had outwitted his opponents, and he went on to dominate the political scene for 22 years (19 of them as Prime Minister). No British politician since has exercised such supremacy for so long.

Generally thought to be cold and aloof, Pitt was described by friends as the wittiest man they ever knew. William Hague succeeds in explaining Pitt's actions and motives during a series of great national crises, including the trauma of the Napoleonic wars. He describes how a man dedicated to peace became Britain's longest-serving war leader, how Pitt the liberal reformer became Pitt the author of repression, and how, though undisputed master of the nation's finances, he died with vast personal debts.

With its rich cast of characters, and set against a backdrop of industrial revolution and global conflict, this is history at its most riveting.