Ben Pimlott

Reissued with a new foreword to mark the centenary of Harold Wilsonâ??s birth, Ben Pimlott's classic biography combines scholarship and observation to illuminate the life and career of one of Britain's most controversial post-war statesmen.

An updated edition of Ben Pimlottâ??s classic biography of the Queen: â?? There is no better biography of Elizabeth II.â?? PETER HENNESSY, Independent on Sunday

The 1930s was the decade of the Jarrow March and the International Brigade - the 'Red Decade' of literary imagination. Yet there has seldom been a time when the influence of the British Left has been at a lower ebb. Why was this? In this book Ben Pimlott suggests answers, and challenges established myths about left-wing politics during a crucial period. Pimlott's study is concerned with the relationship between ideas and political action. The author is interested in the distinction which can be drawn between 'expressive' and 'instrumental' approaches to political behaviour, and a central theme is that the 'expressive' politics of some sections of the Left had an ironic effect of hindering the achievement of widely shared goals.

This timely book is the first to take a close historical look at Ken Livingstone s London. It examines the development of London governance from the demise of the Greater London Council to the establishment of the Greater London Authority. The authors investigate the working of Mayor and Assembly, unravel the underlying politics of London and explore policy debates about transport, crime, and economic development. Finally they pose a question of key importance, not just to Londoners, but also to those interested in urban governance throughout the world: to what extent can the creation of new institutions and instruments of government give a major city the sense of being a political community?

"There will be no better biography of Elizabeth II as a figure of state until her official one appears--and perhaps not even then." --The Independent "One of the many merits of Ben Pimlott's superbly judicious biography of Elizabeth II is that it understands this connection between monarchy and masses, and carefully evokes its political importance." --The New York Times Book Review "The best all-around study of the Queen so far, showing understanding as well as amused irony." --Sunday Telegraph Written by Ben Pimlott, considered Britain's most respected political biographer, The Queen brings us the most authentic life yet of the reigning monarch. For the first time, Buckingham Place opened its doors and those closest to the queen provided compelling new information into Elizabeth's life and reign. New sources include the unpublished diaries of Jock Colville, public secretary to both Churchill and Elizabeth, as well as interviews with Princess Margaret, Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Runcie, and longtime private secretary Lord Charteris.