WAS Willie Whitelaw really a buffoon? One of the last of the great land-owning country gentleman Tory politicians, he often gave that impression.

But no one could have held on to the high positions that he occupied within the party -- particularly under Margaret Thatcher -- without having an incisive political mind.

He ended up being closely involved in some of the most unpopular political policies this country has ever known -- and was a part of the most unpopular government of recent times.

And yet all Willie Whitelaw ever wanted out of life was to be liked.

And he was liked.

Despite the people he was associated with, Willie was one of the most popular politicians of his age.

In this book, the official biography, there is a lovely story about the period when Willie was minister without departmental responsibilities.

In this post he acted as chairman to many government committees. During this period his colleagues remember two things. One was that no policy that Willie disagreed with ever got past his chairmanship and the second was that they -- and that included Margaret Thatcher herself -- got to a point where they simply did not put forward ideas that they felt "would not wash with Willie". Likeable, yes, but tough also.

The Viscount Whitelaw of Penrith was undoubtedly born with a silver spoon in his mouth and from a long line of patrician/soldiers.

His great uncle was a hero of a Boer War shipwreck that is remembered in the epic painting "the death of Ensign Russell" and his father died in 1919 from an illness caused by his wounds from the Great War. No poor orphan, then, Willie was born to rule -- and he would always argue -- to serve his country.

When Willie finally left politics he settled down to write his memoirs.

To the surprise of absolutely no one he had nothing rude or contentious to say about anyone. Even his political enemies were described as misguided but meaning well.

This biography comes as a direct result of his many friends and family insisting that the real story of Willie Whitelaw needed to be told -- and that Willie was far too nice a man to tell it himself!

And that is rather the point. Does the real story of Willie Whitelaw's life need telling, warts and all?

Perhaps it would, if there were any warts.

However, while it may be interesting for some to read the "alongside" story of losing elections, winning elections and putting together laws, both popular and unpopular, one cannot get away from the nagging feeling that Willie did not really make any difference.

He toed the party line, he did what he was told, he even made occasional mistakes, but -- even as a Northern Ireland Secretary who vowed to "smash the Unionists" (a seemingly odd remark for a member of the Conservative Party, but acceptable in the context of the troubles) -- you cannot get away from the feeling that he never actually did anything himself.

A privileged upbringing, enough family wealth to bankroll him into Parliament where he spent the best part of his career close to the action . . . but always that nagging feeling that it would all have happened exactly the same without him.

A splendid man, Willie Whitelaw, a nice man who everybody liked.

But as for being the subject of a biography . . . well, for dedicated fans and the party faithful only.

Published by Jonathan Cape, £20 hardback.