Heineman's work on Neurath is substantial. He had unprecedented access to both the subject and archived material in creating a fastidiously researched biography. As Neurath provided a link between the Weimar and Nazi regimes in foreign affairs, Heineman bridges a salutory exegesis with numerous primary materials and interviews made available to him. Throughout the biograpy, Heineman relies too much on unsubstanitated drivel, particularly when von Neurath relates his participation in the NSDAP hierarchy. At times, Heineman displays an underlying sympathy with the early goals of the NSDAP and it's foreign policy under von Neurath. As von Neurath's Anglo leanings became increasingly incongruent with von Ribbentrop's (who had been previously spurned by the Brits) plans for a quixotic rapproachment with the Soviets, Heineman posits that NSDAP foreign policy declined as von Ribbentrop came into prominence and von Neurath became merely a figurehead which, in turn, provoked the swan song of the Third Reich with Operation Barbarossa. It would be interesting to see if Heineman would make an addendum to his biography taking into account the somewhat recent Yale University publication of Soviet government papers. Nonetheless, perhaps unfortunately, this is the definitive tome on Baron Constantin Freiherr von Neurath.

John Templeton is a great man. A successful investor who gained, if not the whole world, a large part of it without losing his soul. His life story should hold valuable lessons for all of us. Yet this book, displaying the lack of perspective and questioning that offen occurs when a close friend and coworker attempts biography, paints an image of a rather robotic being with discipline and intelligence but lacking humanity.

Templeton is disciplined, focused and successful from his youth. But he buries his mother and wife in quick succession seemingly without letting those traumatic events interfere in any way with the business of business.

World War II, a defining moment for his generation, is little more than an investment opportunity for Sir John- no mention of having contributed to the war effort in any way. Was he exempt for physical or family reasons? Was he a contentious objector? Did he feel badly that others were fighting and dying while he went about building a fortune?

He leaves America for the Bahamas and becomes a British citizen. Why? He seems to have changed national allegiance with no more thought than most of us give to changing a shirt. No explanation is given, no soul searching is hinted.

In the end, this book fails to tell anything more about who John Templeton really is and the forces that shaped him than could have been gleaned from a newspaper interview. Even the chapter on Humility theology is so filled with references to "Sir John" that one wonders if the word has been given a new meaning!

Where is the humility?, where is the humanity?