A leader of Indonesian independence, joint proclaimer of the Republic of Indonesia, and the first Vice President of this Republic, Mohammad Hatta led an eventful life. Yet this quiet, principled, and highly idealistic man was often overshadowed by the charismatic President of the Republic, Sukarno. But without Hatta's practical ideas on social and economic reform (based on principles of democracy), the Sukarno regime was fated to end in political and economic disaster and Hatta was fated to end his life deeply disillusioned by politics and frustrated by his unrealized ideals. This well-written, almost novelistic, biography focuses on the political achievements of Hatta and the difficulties he faced in the struggle for independence and the formation of a new state.