'Never tell a lie; but remember that you are under no obligation to answer unasked questions, nor conduct a public striptease.' Beautiful Ambiguities sums up not only the official style of writing of official information but might also be said to lie at the root of Civil Service thinking and practice. In maintaining the delicate balance between confidentiality in government and the public right to know, Peter Le Cheminant was in a unique position to observe this phenomenon in practice and he tells a fascinating story of government and administra-tion from the inside during a uniquely turbulent period of British political history. After the London School of Economics and service in the Royal Navy, he joined the Ministry of Fuel and Power, with much of his career spent in the field of energy policy and at the highest levels. This took him to Luxembourg, in pursuit of Britain's entry to the EEC, to Paris for the International Energy Agency and to a number of senior positions. These included service in the Cabinet Office and as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Under-Secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry and, back to the Cabinet Office, as head of the Economic Secretariat. As a senior mandarin he was involved at close range in the momentous political upheavals of the period, including the 'Winter of Discontent', the demise of 'Old Labour' and the arrival of Margaret Thatcher's 'new broom' in 1979, through the heyday of her administrations until his retirement in 1984. Peter Le Cheminant carried his heavy responsibilities lightly and writes with good humour, painting an authentic picture of the Civil Service at its highest levels and providing an invaluable insight into the inner workings of government and the Civil Service.