Political Lives is a personal selection by editor Hugo Young of mini-biographies taken from the Dictionary of National Biography of some of the most important figures in British political life of the last century. The selection has been based not only on the subject of the biography but alsoon the biographer, as Hugo Young explains in his introduction, which in itself is a pleasure to read.This title, following on from the success of Brief Lives, which was first published in hardback in 1997 and later in paperback, will be published alongside two related volumes, Literary Lives and Stage and Screen Lives.Approximately 100 articles have been chosen, each written by men and women well known in the political field in their own right. They include noted civil servants as well as MPs, members of the House of Lords, and local politicians. Examples of some of the entries:Edward Heath on William ArmstrongMaurice Shock on Clement AttleeJ. Enoch Powell on Nigel BirchIan Gilmour on R. A. Butler Roy Jenkins on Richard CroslandThomas Jones on Andrew Bonar LawMichael Foot on Jennie LeeJonathan Aitken on Selwyn LloydRichard Griffiths on Oswald Mosley John Cole on George WoodcockHarold Macmillan on John WyndhamThis hightly readable and interesting anthology is lively and insightful and should appeal to a broad spectrum of general readers with an interest in British politics and the lives of those at Westminster and Whitehall.