At its worst, biography is flat and schematic: at the best, it is often baffled by the hidden discords of human nature. […] They will often be rendered, on a cool estimate, as privilege and vested interests. […] It was often stronger. […] 2 The unification of Italy is often dated much too early. […] By nature, the young man was cool and circumspect: he knew that personal courage was often but another name for rashness.