Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, 1962. The men and women who sit in the House of Commons shape the way we lead our lives. But how many of us could ever explain the workings of this complicated and mysterious institution? In this comprehensive and fascinating study, politician and historian Robert Rhodes James explains the strange traditions, complicated formalities and forceful personalities that have shaped the House of Commons throughout history, and that continue to shape it today. Authoritative, clear and always good-humoured, An Introduction to the House of Commons is a truly...

The devastating effect of Prince Albert's death on Queen Victoria is the stuff of legend, and in this fascinating biography Robert Rhodes James reveals the extraordinary man who inspired her devotion. An incredibly human portrait, this vivid account traces Albert's life from beginning to end, starting with the shy child of a broken home in the tiny German principality of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and ending with a man of great feeling, intellect and complexity, supporting his wife at the helm of a sprawling empire. Unrivalled in its scope, Prince Albert: A Biography explores every aspect of this...