Lord Franks was an exceedingly deliberate man who, paradoxically, embarked upon his various careers--as don, mandarin, diplomat, banker, provost, pillar of state--almost by accident. A moral philosopher by training and inclination, Franks had a hand in the making of both war and peace in the middle decades of the twentieth century. He secured Marshal Aid for Europe's post-war recovery program. He had a major role in negotiating the North Atlantic...