Book excerpt: This early work by H. H. Munro was originally published in 1912 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Westminster Alice' is a collection of satirical sketches, including 'Alice in Lambeth', 'Alice in Pall Mall', 'Alice in a Fog', and many more. Hector Hugh Munro was born in Akyab, Burma in 1870. He was raised by aunts in North Devon, England, before returning to Burma in his early twenties to join the Colonial Burmese Military Police. Later, Munro returned once more to England, where he embarked on his career as a journalist, becoming well-known for his satirical 'Alice in Westminster' political sketches, which appeared in the Westminster Gazette. Arguably better-remembered by his pen name, 'Saki', Munro is now considered a master of the short story, with tales such as 'The Open Window' regarded as examples of the form at its finest.