'Fascinating, revealing and entertaining.' John Humphrys
'A pure pleasure to read.' Polly Toynbee
'Extraordinary.' Kirsty Wark

A landmark history of the men and women who have defined the UK's role in the modern world - and what makes them special - by a seasoned political journalist.
At a time of unprecedented political upheaval, this magisterial history explains who leads us and why. From Harold Wilson to Theresa May, it brilliantly brings to life all nine inhabitants of 10 Downing Street over the past fifty years, vividly outlining their successes and failures - and what made each of them special. Based on unprecedented access and in-depth interviews, and inspired by the author's BBC Radio 4 and television series, Steve Richards expertly examines the men and women who have defined the UK's role in the modern world and sheds new light on the demands of the highest public office in the land.

Steve Richards is a political columnist, journalist, and presenter. He regularly presents
The Week in Westminster on BBC Radio 4 and has presented BBC radio series on Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May. He also presented the BBC TV programmes
Leadership Reflections: The Modern Prime Ministers and
Reflections: The Prime Ministers We Never Had. He has written for several national newspapers including the
Guardian, the
Independent and the
Financial Times. He also presents a popular political one man show each year at the Edinburgh Festival and across the UK.