Book review: At power’s elbow: aides to the Prime Minister from Robert Walpole to David Cameron by Andrew Blick and George Jones

"At Power’s Elbow: Aides to the Prime Minister from Robert Walpole to David Cameron." Andrew Blick and George Jones. Biteback Publishing. September 2013. --- Special Advisers and prime-ministerial aides have come to prominence increasingly over the last decade, with operatives like Alastair Campbell and Andy Coulson frequently making front-page news. But little is generally known about the role itself, what it entails, and how it has developed down the years. Catherine Haddon, in reviewing this new offering from Andrew Blick and George Jones, finds their history of the role enlightening and impressive in its breadth and scope.