The village of Parliament has a colourful history of conflict, great oratory, wit and repartee, strange customs and larger-than-life characters, and this rich and entertaining miscellany embraces them all. On his enthralling textual tour, Robert Rogers, the Clerk of the House of Commons, looks not only at the memorable and often fiery politicians who have dominated the House over the centuries, but also at the historic building itself and the distinctive characteristics that make it so endlessly fascinating. Here too are all the famous clashes, rivalries and great events of parliamentary history, such as the fire in 1834 that destroyed the medieval buildings, the dramatic attempts to blow up and bomb Parliament, and the Prime Minister who was assassinated while he walked along its corridors. Although it’s the great affairs of state that take centre stage, the book contains many odd and intriguing details, from the weight of Big Ben and what is in the dispatch boxes, to what a parliament heel’ is and the whereabouts of the peregrine falcons’ nest. As entertaining as it is informative, and written with the unique knowledge of an insider, this is an indispensable collection.
