In this review of Tom (Lord) Bingham's new book on the Rule of Law I briefly note that the rule of law has become an increasingly normal trope of (global) politics, before setting out Bingham's characterisation of the norm itself. I then ask how we might explain the ascendance of the term (in light of Bingham's lack of interest in the issue), such that Bingham's book might find a mainstream non-academic publisher.