*SPOILERS AHEAD*
I'm pretty much the opposite of
@Christopher in my view of how the Star Trek universe functions. I tend to take the view we're seeing the "interesting" bits of the universe while the rest of Starfleet, if not BORING (it's still space travel after all), isn't a Pulp serial of Flash Gordon-esque adventures. It's probably due to Peter David's New Frontier because I imprinted Admiral Jellico's incredulous reaction to Captain Calhoun's successes as well as contempt for Kirk's stories.
So, yes, Captain Kirk WAS the greatest Starfleet Captain who ever lived and probably ever will live. Still, I found the "most inspirational captain" a little weird to apply to Picard. I also felt Q's attempt to say Picard was "perfect" in the prologue out of character as I'd think he'd use a much more insulting but still respectful descriptor.
What did I think?
I really liked it but I think it does run into the fact with characters like Picard, weaving together everything tends to leave "ifs, ands, or buts" which sometimes feel like they're missing some polish. For example, Captain Picard was supposed to have a mentor-student role with Boothby the Gardener who helped polish off some of his rough spots. It turns out, at least according to this book that the too shared a few months detention where they barely spoke.
There's also a few places which felt a little rough like the fact, randomly, The Doomsday Machine (yes, that one) was used by the Klingons to try to destroy Romulus. This is something you can't really just gloss over. It also is sort of a serious issue with TNG's continuity where the Klingons are friends of the Federation, the Romulans are enemies, and the atrocities the Romulans did against the Klingons are wholly unjustified. Making them retaliation for an attempted genocide let's them off the hook and vilifies the Klingons. I have to say, when this book reaches print, the Sons of Kling have a good case for libel.
I also note Spock's wedding is something of a continuity porn explosion which opened more questions than it answered. While Spock was mentioned as to having gotten married in TNG (a blink or you'll miss it moment), we don't get to know who the bride is in the book by very deliberate means other than she appears to be non-Vulcan. Given the most likely spouse of Spock would be Saavik, this is a bit odd. Also, there's a "President Uhura" that seems like another reference thrown in--I'm guessing a son or daughter than the officer herself.
Overall, I think the book definitely felt like Picard and there were a lot of good moments spread throughout. The interweaving of continuity, with the aforementioned exceptions, was well done and I loved the description of the Picard Household when he was a boy. It was just the right amount of crustiness without the spilling over into abuse. We also get the author mentioning how strange it is to find an Earl Grey Tea and Shakespeare obsessed Frenchman. I also pitified from RL experiences when Picard has to deal with his dementia-ridden mother.
Still, I can't quite give this book five stars. Why? It's not because the novelverse is ignored or anything like that but it feels like the book gives a sort of "Picard is Picard throughout his life" treatment. Picard is a character we explicitly know goes through a dramatic change of personality due to TNG but he seems all too level headed throughout this book. Aside from the fact he's an incorrigible ladies man, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the Picard of later years and the Picard of his early career--which is a mistake. His biography should really have him lamenting himself a bit more I think.
Overall, I approve of this book but I think it's a little too close to the Autobiography of James T. Kirk. They both have a somber reflective look back on their Starfleet careers that feel a bit too similar.
8/10
