Book excerpt: Originally compiled by an expert team of contributors, this dictionary covers all the major figures in world politics of the twentieth century. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it describes and assesses the lives of more than 1,100 men and women who have shaped political events across the world. Each entry includes an account of the background, career, and achievements of the individual concerned, balancing fact with critical appraisal. This second edition, commissioned especially for Oxford Reference, contains over 25 new entries, and the whole text has been thoroughly revised and updated.