The son of a carpenter, Heath broke the mould of upper-class Tory leaders and suffered years of snobbish mockery. With accomplishments outside politics, in music and international sailing, he is a veritable Renaissance Man. Yet his period premiership collapsed in chaos and humiliation after only three-and-a-half years. Eclipsed by the Thatcherite economic miracle, his achievements were easily overlooked. Now that Thatcherism itself has given way to a punishing recession, perhaps Heath can emerge in terms of Shakespearean tragedy - as a man of remarkable qualities cursed with a blight that turned all to ashes. This biography is by the author of "Lloyd George: the Goat in the Wilderness", "F.E. Smith", "Roy Jenkins" and "Nye Bevan and the Mirage of British Socialism".