Designed to give all students of political ideas a fuller appreciation of the great works which form the foundation of the subject, The Political Classics provides a lively and informed introduction to the last hundred years of political thinking, covering twelve major figures and their most important texts; from T. H. Green to Ronald Dworkin.

Besides giving a full analysis of the contents of each text, The Political Classics also highlights what makes the works of central importance to an understanding of political philosophy. The twelve chapters concentrate on the ideas contained in the texts, rather than on the lives of their writers, and each chapter is supplemented with useful suggestions for further reading.

The clear analysis and explanation contained in each essay allow the reader to study the original texts with new understanding and insight.