Most of them turn out to be long-winded hagiographies or self-absorbed and pedagogic narratives.

BBC: Vinod Mehta memoir a rare and salacious Indian tell-all

Graham says despite Obama's reputation as a great orator, his debate performances have not lived up to the standards of his speeches - and that at times the president can be awkward and long-winded in his debate answers.

CNN: Do U.S. presidential debates matter?

Because it is public, it is likely to be nasty, brutish and tiresomely long-winded.

ECONOMIST: The political mincing-machine

The answer you'll hear, as long-winded as it may be, will likely touch on Pebble.

ENGADGET

Apart from campaign ads, however, the president himself can commandeer as much TV time as he wishes, although in the case of the long-winded Chavez, such appearances may not be vote-winners.

CNN: Chavez clown prince of a decaying society

All of which is a long-winded way of saying that UK banks should be able to meet the new capital standard without taxpayers having to inject any new money.

BBC: EU banks may raise ?200bn

Even in the best of circumstances Mr Hyde's deadline may not be realistic (will the committee have long enough between now and Christmas to accommodate 37 long-winded politicians, even if Mr Hyde sticks to his post-election musing and calls as witnesses only Mr Starr himself and an expert on testimony under oath?).

ECONOMIST: A tiger by the tail | The

All of which is a long-winded way of explaining why the borrowing costs of the government perceived to be most financially over-stretched, Spain, have soared today to record levels - in that the dispute over whether to go for a banking union shows that the eurozone is as far as ever it was from a fundamental solution to its woes.

BBC: Eurozone��s banking union blown up