The last of Chris Mullins' three volume set of Diaries - which he has produced since he stood down in May, 2010 after 23 years as the MP for Sunderland South - was published earlier this week.
The first two covered 1999-2010 and were insightful, witty and penetrating in analysis and this one entitled A Walk-On Part is no different.
Whilst Diaries are a rarity in American political history - the two accounts of Obama's win in 2008 have been David Plouffe's The Audacity to Win and John Heilemann & Mark Halperin's Race of a Lifetime - they have been an important part of the political landscape in the UK witness those by Tony Benn, Alan Clark and Chips Channon.