One of the most intriguing ‘what ifs’ in the history of the Church of England during the second half of the twentieth century remains: what if, in 1944, on the sudden and unexpected death of William Temple, Winston Churchill had chosen George Bell of Chichester rather than Geoffrey Fisher of London (who had no parochial experience whatsoever) as archbishop of Canterbury? There is no denying that the character, style and priorities of the occupant of St Augustine's throne are of the greatest significance in influencing the direction in which not only the Church of England but also the Anglican Communion is set to go during his primacy. For instance, it is hard to imagine that Bell would have justified anything like the personal time and effort that Fisher expended on a root and branch revision of the Church's canon law, despite the fact that it had remained unchanged (and consequently largely ineffective) since 1604. David Hein, in this new biographical monograph on Fisher's life and ministry, believed it ‘a question that is still debated’. It is doubtful that such an enterprise would find many advocates in today's, so-called, ‘mission-shaped church’. It is undeniable that Fisher found this work ‘the most absorbing and all-embracing topic’ of his archiepiscopate but that surely is a glaring example of mistaken priorities. But there were glimpses of originality, even for an archbishop who preferred administration to theology. Hein rightly emphasises his ecumenical endeavours, not least the 1946 Cambridge sermon and its invitation to the Free Churches to ‘take episcopacy into their systems’ and his pioneering work with the World Council of Churches. Although, ironically, he played an active epistolary part in ensuring the defeat of the Anglican-Methodist Reunion scheme in 1972. Fisher's primacy saw the world and the Church emerging from the traumas of a world war. In order to provide an accurate picture of these times Hein has not stinted himself in studying the literature of those years. As well as its ecclesiastical history, he has given us interesting flavours of the period from contemporary fiction. The bibliography is impressive with books and articles right up to 2007. Yet surely it contains a glaring omission? Hein cannot be unaware that the massive task of revising the Dictionary of national biography has now been completed. However the entirely new entry for Archbishop Fisher is not included in his listings. This is a pity, because the significant Hein monograph fits neatly between the work of two distinguished London deans. It slots between the 800 pages of ‘all you ever wanted to know about Fisher’ contained in Edward Carpenter's official (1991) biography which came out of Westminster Deanery and Alan Webster's more perceptive and insightful ODNB entry coming from the deanery at the ‘Eastminster’.