The honourable ladies.: (Profiles of women MPs 1918-1996) - Volume 1,

On December 14 1918 Countess Markievicz became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons.

She was elected for Sinn Fein, but never took her seat.

Eleven months later, Nancy, Lady Astor, became the first woman to be elected and to take her seat.

One hundred years later, 489 other women followed in their stead.

The book's co-editors, LBC presenter Iain Dale, and former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, are commissioning biographical essays on each of the 491 'Honourable Ladies'.

Each of the contributors will be female.