New Zealand's pre-eminent criminal barrister looks back on his remarkable life and times. 'Peter Williams QC is the definitive defendant's alter ego, the popular ideal of what a defending lawyer should be, and the most effective defence barrister our legal system has experienced.' In his time as a criminal defence lawyer in the New Zealand courts, Peter Williams QC has seen it all. From the days when abortion, homosexuality and even telling fortunes could see a person hauled before the courts, to sensational cases of wrongful imprisonment and police corruption, he has witnessed the defining moments in the evolution of our modern judicial and penal systems. In this rich and wise collection of memoir, anecdote and forensic analysis our pre-eminent courtroom advocate recalls the people (including Ronald Jorgensen, Arthur Allan Thomas, "Mr Asia", James K Baxter, Winston Peters and many more) and the cases (both celebrated and obscure) that have defined his remarkable career, and illuminates the ways in which a legal system mirrors its society, for good and bad. Fearless, astute and compassionate, Peter Williams proves - beyond reasonable doubt - that truth is nearly always stranger than fiction.