Laura Beveridge

Westminster is one of the oldest and most influential legislatures in the world. Here, Iain Dale—one of Britain’s leading political commentators—recommends the best books that offer insights into the inner workings of the British parliament, highlighting first-hand accounts both from the floor of the House of Commons and of the wrangling that goes on behind the scenes.

War, diplomacy, and foreign affairs perforate our news on a daily basis—from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to post-Brexit trade deals. The formal study of international relations seeks to make sense of these phenomena. We asked Natasha Saunders of the University of St Andrews to recommend five books that will introduce readers to the field of international relations.