The Foreign & Commonwealth Office is one of Britain's most famous institutions, but for most people is shrouded in a certain amount of mystery. This book allows us to glimpse at life on the inside, discover the history of its workings and architecture, and appreciate the role of the Foreign Office at the heart of Empire

Dr Anthony Seldon tells the history of this world-famous institution, and takes us on a guided tour of the building. The Foreign Office boasts 200 exclusive photographs of the interiors specially commissioned from a leading architectural photographer.

The story of the Foreign Office is inextricably linked to that of the rise and fall of the British Empire. Anthony Seldon focuses particularly on relations with India, and this is complemented by fascinating archive material from the India Office at the British Library.

Chapters include:
* The rise of Empire
* The Building in History
* The Building Today
* The Great and the Good - Foreign ministers from Palmerston to Cook; and key under-secretaries & staff
* Overseas Posts - the Foreign Office as the centre of a vast Empire. Relations with the `periphery' - Curzon, Mountbatten, Halifax, Nehru, Gandhi, Nassar. Embassies and viceroys residencies.
* The Secret World - communications & bureaucracy, GCHQ, Bletchley Park, spies, deciphering machines
* The Lowering of the Flag - the fall of Singapore & Hong Kong. The faded glory of Empire.