John Jay Walter Stahr Few men had more influence on the American Revolution than John Jay. A New York lawyer, born in 1745, Jay became in turn President of the Continental Congress, America's representative in Madrid, Paris, London, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Chief Justice of the United States and Governor of New York. No other American has held such a variety of senior offices. A modern-day equivalent would need to have been Chief Justice, Secretary of State, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Governor of New York. An intimate of Washington, Franklin and Adams, the only surprise is that Jay never became President. Astonishingly, Walter Stahr's lucid and readable account of John Jay's life and career is the first full-length biography for sixty years. Based on substantial new material, it sets Jay's unique career against the background of the American Revolution.

Walter B Stahr is an international lawyer. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 1978, cum laude from Harvard Law School, and with honors from the Kennedy School of Public Policy in 1982. At Harvard he was executive editor and then editor-in-chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review. After working in Hong Kong, he spent some years as special counsel and principal speechwriter to SEC Chairman Richard Breeden. Since 2000 he has served as internal counsel for Emerging Markets Partnership in Washington DC. He has a longstanding interest in the history of the American Revolution.

496 pages 32 illus. 7 April 2005
1 85285 444 8     £ 19.99