Robert Rhodes James was born on 10 April 1933, the youngest son of Lieutenant-Colonel W R James, OBE, MC. He was educated at private schools in India and at Sedbergh School then Worcester College Oxford. In 1956 Rhodes James married Angela Margaret Robertson, elder daughter of the late R M Robertson. They had four daughters. He died on 24 May 1999.

Rhodes James' positions included: Assistant Clerk, House of Commons, 1955-61; Senior Clerk, 1961-64; Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, 1965-68, 1979-81; Director of the Institute for the Study of International Organisation, University of Sussex, 1968-73; Principal Officer, Executive Office of Secretary-General of the United Nations, 1973-76; Kratter Professor of European History, Stanford University, California, 1968-;Consultant to United Nations Conference on Human Environment, 1971-72; UK Member of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, 1972-73; MP (Conservative) Cambridge, December 1976-92; Principal Private Secretary, Foreign Office, 1979-82; Member of the Chairmen’s Panel, House of Commons, 1987-92; Conservative Party Liaison Officer for Higher and Further Education, 1979-85 and 1987; Chairman, Conservative Friends of Israel, 1989-; Vice-President, Anglo-Israel Association, 1990-. FRSL 1964; NATO Fellow, 1965; FRHistS 1973; Professorial Fellow, University of Sussex, 1973; Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge, 1991-; DL Cambs, 1993; Hon. DLitt Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, 1986. Kt 1991.

Rhodes James was a distinguished historian and biographer. His published works include: "Lord Randolph Churchill" 1959; "An Introduction to the House of Commons", 1961; "Rosebery", 1963; "Gallipoli", 1965; "Standardization and Production of Military Equipment in NATO", 1967; "Churchill: a study in failure, 1900-39", 1970; "Ambitions and Realities: British politics 1964-70", 1972; "Victor Cazalet: a portrait", 1976; "The British Revolution 1880-1939", vol. I, 1976, vol. II, 1977, 1 Vol. edn, 1978; "Albert, Prince Consort", 1983; "Anthony Eden", 1986; "Bob Boothby: a portrait", 1991; "Henry Wellcome", 1994; edited: "Chips: The Diaries of Sir Henry Channon", 1967; "Memoirs of a Conservative: J. C. C. Davidson’s Memoirs and Papers", 1969; "The Czechoslovak Crisis 1968", 1969; "The Complete Speeches of Sir Winston Churchill, 1897-1963", 1974; contrib. to: "Suez Ten Years After", 1967; "Essays From Divers Hands", 1967; "Churchill: four faces and the man", 1969; "International Administration", 1971; and "The Prime Ministers", vol. II, 1975.