W. David Mcintyre OBE is the author of twelve books on Commonwealth and New Zealand history which include "Colonies into Commonwealth", (1966), and "British Decolonization", (1998)

This lucid guide meets the need, so often expressed in the 1990s, for an up-to-date assessment of the contemporary Commonwealth. It has a succinct section on its historical background and gives more attention than any previous works to symbols and to the 'People's Commonwealth' of voluntary organizations, sports and business. It highlights critical questions of balance that have emerged between the relative roles of governments and official agencies, voluntary associations, and private business.