Sir David Cox has had an enormous influence on statistical thinking and practice. This selection, organised in two volumes, contains Professor Cox’s most important and most interesting papers published before 1993. The papers are grouped by theme, and each is the subject of a candid commentary by Professor Cox, written especially for this collection. The commentaries describe the context in which the papers arose and their subsequent influence. These papers, with the accompanying commentaries, provide excellent coverage of many of the most significant advances in statistics in recent times. But this collection is more than a record of scientific achievement. Professor Cox’s writing is characterised by clarity and wit, so these volumes can be read as much for enjoyment as for edification.