Unlike Ernie O'Malley, Sean Lemass made the transition from revolutionary to democratic politician. While O'Malley enriched the national imagination, Lemass advanced the welfare of the greater part of the Irish people. John Horgan's acclaimed biography, now available in paperback, is written in a lively style that would make Lemass chuckle. Horgan defines our most effective Taoiseach as enigmatic rather than pragmatic, even though he was a leader "for whom executive power was the primary language of political communication".