CROSSING THE BAR

To rise from humble beginnings in the Potteries to become a hugely successful barrister involved in many high profile cases would be enough to satisfy the ambitions of many. But Bob Alexander's life took him from the law to be chairman of the Takeover Panel and the NatWest Bank at a critical time when the impact of 'Big Bang' demanded huge changes from many staid financial institutions. Add to that his passion for cricket which led to him being elected chairman of the MCC, and his chairmanship of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and his elevation to the peerage, and you have the extraordinarily full life of a man who rose to the very top of the British establishment. What distinguishes these memoirs from many is the candour with which Lord Alexander describes his wealth of experiences. His accounts of his famous cases - GCHQ, Ken Livingstone, 'Spycatcher,' the Summerfields Fire, Jeffrey Archer - are masterpieces of clarity and concision. But he is never afraid to express his opinions of people and events - and this is particularly so when he describes his efforts to reform the NatWest Bank. His account will surely be of great value to financial historians for years to come. Behind this remarkable success there is a continuing modesty and an openness to argument and opinion, characteristics that made him such a revered and popular figure in so many different worlds. Lord Alexander, who died in 2005 before he was able to complete his memoir, has left us a vivid and revealing personal account of a brilliant career. His wisdom, kindness and mastery of the law touched the lives of so many.