William Hayley's 1796 biography called him the "greatest English author", and he remains generally regarded "as one of the preeminent writers in the English language".

The following full biography calls him the "greatest inventor whose name is unknown to the general public".

Now come two immense new biographies, both, as it happens, called, "Marcel Proust: A Life."

A new biography of Winston Churchill calls him the "most valuable to humanity" among twentieth-century leaders.

The latest biography now calls him 'an outstanding statesman, warrior and man of letters'.

Most biographies describe the dream but merely call it a puzzling allegory whose meaning cannot now be known.

His biography at the College Football Hall of Fame calls him "without question, American football's most-renowned coach."

A biography of Lord Berners, published earlier this year in England, has called him "the last eccentric."

After retiring from politics, Kernot wrote a "full and frank" biography called Speaking for Myself, which was published in 2002.

A modern biography called this an understatement, acknowledging his works in the wider field of medicine throughout his lifetime.