Index: Doc/library/datetime.rst
===================================================================
--- Doc/library/datetime.rst	(revision 71720)
+++ Doc/library/datetime.rst	(working copy)
@@ -188,16 +188,18 @@
 
 Instance attributes (read-only):
 
-+------------------+--------------------------------------------+
-| Attribute        | Value                                      |
-+==================+============================================+
-| ``days``         | Between -999999999 and 999999999 inclusive |
-+------------------+--------------------------------------------+
-| ``seconds``      | Between 0 and 86399 inclusive              |
-+------------------+--------------------------------------------+
-| ``microseconds`` | Between 0 and 999999 inclusive             |
-+------------------+--------------------------------------------+
-
++-------------------+--------------------------------------------+
+| Attribute         | Value                                      |
++===================+============================================+
+| ``days``          | Between -999999999 and 999999999 inclusive |
++-------------------+--------------------------------------------+
+| ``seconds``       | Between 0 and 86399 inclusive              |
++-------------------+--------------------------------------------+
+| ``microseconds``  | Between 0 and 999999 inclusive             |
++-------------------+--------------------------------------------+
+| ``total_seconds`` | Total seconds in the duration (includes    |
+|                   | days, seconds and microseconds)            |
++-------------------+--------------------------------------------+
 Supported operations:
 
 .. XXX this table is too wide!
Index: Lib/test/test_datetime.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_datetime.py	(revision 71720)
+++ Lib/test/test_datetime.py	(working copy)
@@ -261,6 +261,11 @@
         self.assertEqual(td.seconds, seconds)
         self.assertEqual(td.microseconds, us)
 
+    def test_total_seconds(self):
+        for total_seconds in [123456.789012, -123456.789012, 0.123456, 0]:
+            td = timedelta(seconds=total_seconds)
+            self.assertEqual(td.total_seconds, total_seconds)
+
     def test_carries(self):
         t1 = timedelta(days=100,
                        weeks=-7,
Index: Modules/datetimemodule.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/datetimemodule.c	(revision 71720)
+++ Modules/datetimemodule.c	(working copy)
@@ -2068,6 +2068,14 @@
 	return Py_BuildValue("ON", Py_TYPE(self), delta_getstate(self));
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+delta_total_seconds(PyObject *self, void *context)
+{
+	return PyFloat_FromDouble(GET_TD_MICROSECONDS(self) / 1000000.0 +
+				  GET_TD_SECONDS(self) +
+				  GET_TD_DAYS(self) * 24.0 * 3600.0);
+}
+
 #define OFFSET(field)  offsetof(PyDateTime_Delta, field)
 
 static PyMemberDef delta_members[] = {
@@ -2083,6 +2091,13 @@
 	{NULL}
 };
 
+static PyGetSetDef delta_getset[] = {
+	{"total_seconds", (getter)delta_total_seconds, NULL,
+	 PyDoc_STR("Total number of seconds "
+		   "(including days and microseconds).")},
+	{NULL}
+};
+
 static PyMethodDef delta_methods[] = {
 	{"__reduce__", (PyCFunction)delta_reduce,     METH_NOARGS,
 	 PyDoc_STR("__reduce__() -> (cls, state)")},
@@ -2159,7 +2174,7 @@
 	0,						/* tp_iternext */
 	delta_methods,					/* tp_methods */
 	delta_members,					/* tp_members */
-	0,						/* tp_getset */
+	delta_getset,					/* tp_getset */
 	0,						/* tp_base */
 	0,						/* tp_dict */
 	0,						/* tp_descr_get */