Michael Gove's personal tastes and priorities dominate the education landscape as he drives through reforms designed to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn "the best that has been thought and said" as a foundation for upward social mobility. This article examines the coherence and progress of the government's reform programme, explores the personal history and contribution of Mr Gove himself, and considers the prospects for success. It argues that the Education Secretary is a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" and that his flawed understanding of society and education have fatally compromised his plans. His vision involves returning the nation's teachers and children to the lost world of private education in Scotland during the 1980s, and his visceral contempt for state schools and teachers has led him to alienate the professionals on whom true success depends. The article concludes that Mr Gove is the victim of his own limited education.