The Webbs could not have achieved all they did had they not been at the centere of British intellectual and political life. Never intended for publication, the diary also reveals much about the complex personality of Beatrice Webb herself.

Though to understand Beatrice Webb and her world it is necessary to study the diary, only extracts have ever been published before. This microfiche edition reproduces the complete text in two forms: the original manuscript written in 57 exercise books, and a later typescript.