Michael Dobbs is one of Britain's best-known novelists and political commentators, and a former presenter of BBC TV's Despatch Box.  He is the author of the House of Cards series and creator of Francis Urquhart, one of the most controversial fictional figures of recent years.  He was formerly Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party and also Deputy Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi.  He was an adviser to Margaret Thatcher, Norman Tebbit and John Major, and has a doctorate in defence studies.  His books have all been bestsellers.  Michael's new book, Winston's War, which was published in November, is based around the relationship between Winston Churchill and the Soviet spy Guy Burgess in the crucial year of 1938 and has been shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year Award.

Favourite books:  The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien; The Bible