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Summary of Business Segment Information (Parenthetical) (Detail) (Insurance Operations, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013
Insurance Operations |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Federal excise tax relating to cessions from Insurance Operations to Reinsurance Operations | $ 277 | $ 264 | $ 838 | $ 482

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- Definition Federal Excise Tax Expense Cessions From Insurance Operations To Reinsurance Operations + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | gbli_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration