This useful single-volume collection combines an introductory essay on the emergence and changing role of the British prime minister with 51 concise biographies of the people who have played this role, from Sir Robert Walpole at the beginning of the 18th century to current prime minister Tony Blair. These essays reveal how each figure molded the office in response to the situation of the time, and the preface by Lord Butler adds insight into the present-day workings of the office.