Traces the authors political ambitions and tells how he came to discard the ballot box for the court bench which in England the judges, who are not elected, are obliged to do - of his experiences as a politician, broadcaster, lawyer, judge and family man - and the array of leading lights and everyday folk.

AcknowledgementsCHAPTER1. From Calcutta to Oxford2. Oxford, the Navy and the Liberals3. Starting out in the Law4. Career Changes for the Better5. Hopes, Disappointments and Nigeria Once Again6. Life at the Bar and Another General Election7. Starting on the Bench8. A Sporting ChanceIndex of Names

'This is, without doubt, a special book ... I have read many judicial biographies and autobiographies but this one stands out for the serious business and the special cause which John Baker has stood for: it is a great addition to the world of judicial biography':Phillip Taylor MBE, Richmond Chambers Reviews.'Entertaining ... this is an engaging account of a fascinating man, whose one philosophy saw the law as a means to achieve justice rather than an obstacle to the right result'.John Cooper, Media Review, The Times'His Honour John Baker, knows how to tell a good story ... there is much to enjoy in these memoirs. Well known figures, political and non political populate its pages but they never intrude on ... [a] story set against the wider canvas of post-war British life'Paul Hunt, Club News'A candid and often humorous autobiography'Parkshot News