The British Parliament is the oldest in the world. Since the 13th century, England has been a “laboratory” of parliamentary mechanisms and institutions, many of which were borrowed from other countries. The British experience is also of great interest in Russia, which is building its own parliamentary system. Una MacDonald's book is one of the best textbooks on the history and modern functioning of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The author of the book is a famous financier and politician, Doctor of Philosophy, and a member of parliament from the Labor Party in 1976–1987. Widely using personal experience, she describes in detail all aspects of the work of parliament, its deputies and employees. The extensive amount of information, combined with the capacity of presentation and typical English gentle humor, allows us to recommend W. Macdonald’s book to a wide range of readers. The Russian edition is significantly supplemented by the author and illustrated with rare photographs , reflecting different aspects of parliamentary life.