This is a thoroughly researched and fluent work that gives the reader a wonderful insight into its subject. Langdon tracks her early days at school and university, both in Britain and the United States, and gives a warts-and-all account of the colourful student and academic days. Surprisingly, the life-altering event of Mowlam's illness is skimmed over as being quite incidental but this is, in fact, quite how the lady herself dealt with it. Also, her time as Northern Ireland Secretary occupies a mere 30 pages or so but the conciseness of the writing makes it a detailed account of that era. Most enjoyable are glimpses of the personality - incidents that display her capacity for extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion - and reveal a very focused and demanding woman who can be quite abrasive with colleagues and friends. Overall, this book gives the impression of a multi-faceted personality and a gifted politician.