Book Description
This informed analysis of Tony Blair's political endgame, by Westminster's best-connected journalist, shows how little the prime minister has managed to achieve in domestic policy during his three terms, and how the war in Iraq has left him isolated in Parliament and mistrusted by the voting public.
Book Description
John Rentoul's first biography of Tony Blair appeared in 1995, not long after the politician's election as leader of the Labour Party. Two years later Blair presided over the party's landslide election victory—a tremendous affirmation of his popularity and a great vindication for the modernizers he led. But as New Labour settles into its historic second term, is that popularity still there? Has Blair and the party he helped reinvent delivered on their promises? What sort of government does he lead, and is Britain anything like the country he claimed he could create? These are the questions at the heart of John Rentoul's searching new biography. Not just an updated version of the earlier work, but an entirely fresh approach to his subject, Tony Blair: Prime Minister includes a wealth of new material and represents the definitive account of a man whose potential has now been put to the biggest test of all—power.
Customer Reviews:
How Times Change.......2006-05-19
Well five years after publication we find the subject of this book in serious political trouble with members of his own party asking for a date for his resignation. Nobody in the UK believes what he says any longer and his chancellor is waiting in the wings to take over. One star and forget it.
Rentoul's Blair.......2004-10-08
John Rentoul's biography of Tony Blair is a must read for those who want to understand him. The book is scholarly enough to use as a text in comparative politics. It also gives enough character development to understand who Blair is, how he was developed as a man and what Britain's youngest Prime Minister in the 20th century is like.
The text certainly gives a clear view of "The Third Way" philosophy of Blair's tenure which eschews unfettered capitalism and old labor socialism. Rentoul also illuminates Blair's Christian moral beliefs without ignoring the character of a young rock musician.
It is the best biography yet of Britain's most dynamic leader.
Tony Blair - A Reverent Prime Minister and Politician.......2003-04-02
On 4-th of july 1964,Tony was woken by his mother in the morning and as soon as he heard the first words coming out from his mother - he knew that something wasn't right and he was right
about that.
Tony's father had a stroke and it wasn't sure whether he's gonna make it or not.
This day was the day when Tony's childhood ended,a day when his political ambition began, a life which taught him the value of the family and real friends who walked with his family in the worst moments of their lives.
Tony,a child of strict parents about manners :
Was always polite,kind,helpful towards other people and he enjoyed the attention so much so when he is only 16 years old he formed a group named The Pseuds - to act.
Soon, as a 'gifted guitarist' he starts meeting people of the same interest and talked about getting into the music world.
He loved The Rolling Stones and they were going to be the next Led Zeppelin or Free (Tony's most favorite bands).
So...the band "Ugly Rumours" is formed and THE LEAD SINGER-with
a fantastic voice is someone such as : the future prime minister of Great Britain - TONY BLAIR.
...John Rentoul's biography of Tony Blair-(was made to read easy as novel, even though it was Tony's life to make that possible). It is a well-researched book and tells just about everything you'd want to know about Tony Blair.
TONY BLAIR Prime Minister by John Rentoul.......2003-03-19
With the advent of what may become the second Gulf War, Tony Blair-Prime Minister is a comprehensive biography of the leader of America's closest ally. Prime Minister Tony Blair is an unlikely choice to be the foreign leader closest to President George W. Bush. British Journalist, John Rentoul has written about the rise and times of Tony Blair from his roots in a middle class British family to that of a rising socialist politician who became leader of the "New" Labor Party and Prime Minister of Great Britian.
Rentoul traces Blair's family and their political leanings. Blair's father Leo Blair was born to a pair of actors and given to a James and Mary Blair in Glasgow. Leo Blair as a teenager was a member of the Scottish Young Communist League and had ambitions to become a Communist Member of Parliment. However, after service in World War II as a member of the Royal Signal Corps, Leo Blair underwent a political conversion. Upon leaving the military he became a member of the Conservative Party. Leo Blair married Blair's mother Hazel from a strongly Protestant family from County Donegal while working at the Ministry of National Insurance in Glasgow. Leo Blair studied law eventually becoming a lecturer in Administrative Law at the University of Adelaide in Australia and eventually the University of Durham in Durham. Leo Blair eventually became a practicing barrister and active in the local Conservative Party.
Tony Blair was the second of three children. He is described as being the child most like his father Leo.
In the opening chapter of the book it states "Tony Blair's political ambition began at age of eleven, when his father Leo's ended, on 4 July 1964. At the age of forty, at the height of his political powers and looking for a Conservative parlimentary seat, Leo Blair had a stroke."
However, the book indicates that many of Blair's acquaintances during his school and law school years were suprised when he decided to become active in politics. Blair was not a member of any political clubs while in school or in-between. Blair had been a singer and manager of a rock n roll band "The Ugly Rumors", had long hair and a van. Unlike his American political counter parts, he never experimented with drugs, smoked marijuana or was seen drunk. In response to the question of whether he ever smoked marijuana, he said no, but if he had "he would have inhaled" in a jab at his friend President Bill Clinton.
One of the suprising discoveries found in the book about Tony Blair is his Christian Socialism. Unlike many American politicians not much mention has been made of the fact he has been a confirmed Christian since his Oxford days. Moreover, he is the only British Prime Minister since Gladstone known to regularly read the Bible.
Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair are as political a couple as the Clintons. Both have worked in local politics and both have run for seats in Parliment. When Blair ran his first successful race for his current seat from the Sedgefield Riding, Cherie was seeking a seat in a "marginal" Labor district or riding. However, after Blair won his first election, Cherie decided to forego elective office as one politician was enough in the family. Since Blair's election in Parliment in 1983, the Blairs have had three children and Cherie has continued her career as a successful barrister.
Over half the book covers Blair's career as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister. When he became Prime Minister at age 42, only tweleve years in Parliment, he became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool who became Prime Minister in 1812.
The book is well documented with footnotes after every chapter. Because of its "scholarliness" it may tend to drag at times in the chapters which deal with his years as Prime Minister from May 2, 1997 through the time the book was written in January 2001. As such it chronicles in detail Tony Blair's first term.
In it, the achievements of the first term include the Balkans, Northern Ireland,as well as helping provide a better standard of living for all of Britian.
Blair is described as a "hands-on" Prime Minister, informal but energized and possibly hyper-working on the phone from planes, on vacation and on the weekend.
With as much detail provided of all aspects of Blair's life, TONY BLAIR-Prime Minister gives the reader and the world great insight into Blair's actions now in his second term as Prime Minister.
Amazon.com
British Prime Minister Tony Blair was regarded as something of a maverick in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He broke ranks with the majority of his own Labour Party in England, as well as the prevailing opinion among European leaders, to support George W. Bush's plan to topple Saddam Hussein. But according to veteran British newsman James Naughtie, such a maverick approach is completely in character for Blair, who has a long history of sticking with his convictions even if it puts his own popularity at risk. Curiously, that mindset has actually led to a great deal of popularity for Blair, first among the British people and then among American war supporters who lauded Blair for his consistent support of Bush. Contrary to characterizations of Blair being an advocate of invasion purely for political interests or as a victim of neo-conservative brainwashing, Naughtie presents Blair as a man of genuinely independent thought, convinced of not just the viability but the necessity of using force to bring greater security and freedom to the world. The Accidental American focuses heavily on the hours and days following the 9/11 attacks, detailing the urgency Blair felt reacting to the crisis and along the way providing candid (and newsmaking) glimpses inside the corridors of power, such as Colin Powell's characterization of the Dick Cheney-Donald Rumsfeld-Paul Wolfowitz group as "f---ing crazies." While Naughtie interviewed Blair for the book and explains Blair's beliefs and motivations in tremendous detail, the Prime Minister is never laid bare, remaining intriguingly enigmatic throughout. Still, The Accidental American is a valuable look at one of the more fascinating and important figures in modern global politics. --John Moe
Book Description
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair is the most popular foreign leader in the United States, and one whose support for America has made him widely reviled at home. Why did Blair become such an object of fascination here? What are Democrats to make of their old friend's attachment to Bush? In a Europe profoundly skeptical about a new American imperialism, why did Blair decide to face resolutely west across the Atlantic?
To James Naughtie, a renowned British journalist with unparalleled knowledge of Blair and a deep understanding of American politics, the story of our love affair with Blair provides a fascinating mirror on the troubles facing Western democracies, and on America itself. In The Accidental American, the first book about Blair written specifically for American readers, he explores how a politician swept to power by a party once avowedly socialist came to make common cause with American neo-conservatives; and became the gatekeeper between America and Western Europe.
Though Blair has been feted by Congress and is beloved by the White House, his real beliefs about America remain almost unknown. Naughtie has watched Blair close-up for many years and has many contacts inside his circle of friends and advisors. In the tumult of a presidential election year, this book provides a revelatory portrait of a master politician and revelatory insights into the politics and character of our own country.
Customer Reviews:
Why the "special relationship" didn't work for Blair.......2005-03-07
This book represents a great achievement in explaining what drove the seemingly strange pairing of a UK Labour prime minister and a US Republican President on a venture that hardly any other major political leader in the world supported, being the war on terror post 9/11 which ultimately led to the invasion of Iraq and its ongoing occupation at great cost to the occupiers and the Iraqi people.
The writer is a UK political correspondent with great experience of the Labour Party (he has written the best account to date on the Blair relationship with Gordon Brown, whose unwillingness to remain Number Two features to the end of this book) and the US and while he covers the US aspects very well his real story is on the road that led Blair to a policy that few in his party really supported and has since cost him dear in public perceptions of his leadership.
After a rather unfocussed start (where the story seems to be continually jumping around in time) it settles down into an incisive chronological analysis of how Blair having reached his agreement with Brown to be leader then became prime minister without any prior government office experience and with an unassailable parliamentary majority started to develop links with Clinton which then had to be replaced with Bush after his slim victory over Gore.
That both have developed such a strong personal bond despite very different backgrounds and world views is skilfully explained in the context of Bush badly needing Blair to have international credibility for his very US neo-conservative driven strategy and Blair having taken a very personal decision with little input from his Cabinet in seeking a great international issue to grasp. The book gives a very good feel for the inner workings of Blair's "presidential" style of government especially in Cabinet that led to this being so easily done and which Naughtie demonstrates led to Bush underestimating how far Blair had gone out on a limb and was then exposed to UK parliamentary revolt against that decision.
Naughtie includes lots of personal off record comments that flesh out how the end result was Bush and his Executive conceding little to their end gameplan (the book should kill any remaining views of the UK ever being likely to benefit from the much touted "special relationship" unless US and UK interests are aligned on an issue) and Blair having made a personal commitment based on his early views of Islamic revolutionaries then being moulded post 9/11 into a intransigent loner who trusted his instincts and not the counsel of his colleagues and advisers plus other political leaders. The book is worth buying just for the chapter on the failings of the various Intelligence Services and how in the UK their role was to try and provide evidence and justification for a decision which Blair had already made and in which they failed him plus fooled themselves into not providing the clarity that may have stalled (if not stopped) him.
A very unique book with one of the best book covers I have seen in years!
Bush is his Co-Pilot: Blair, Bush and the Iraq War.......2005-01-05
The political behavior of British Prime Minister Tony Blair is something of an enigma - why does he support the American president, so despised in the UK, at great harm to his popularity? Why did he back Bush into the war in Iraq, ostensibly in quest of weapons of mass destructions, even though the UN inspectors urged for more time?
As Blair followed George W. Bush, his popularity in the UK plummeted, his party is in something close to an open revolt, and his standing in Europe has deteriorated. And for all his trouble, it appears that Blair got precious little in return from the American administration. As French President Jacques Chirac recently put it "I am not sure that it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favors systematically."
British journalist James Naughtie, author of another acclaimed book about Tony Blair (the Rivals, about the relationship between Blair and Gordon Brown), tries to answer these questions precisely. His answer is that Blair is a true believer; he believes that the 9/11 has been a wake up call for the world. "I could see this Islamic Extremism... bring about a very dangerous conjunction of terrorism and states that are utterly unstable and repressive" (quoted on p. 203). These views of Blair's antedated 9/11. They were the impetus for his promotion of the Kosovo war. Already in the late 1990s, Blair saw a new international order rising, one based on the struggle against evil. The terrorist threat required a whole new political philosophy:
"Before September 11th the world's view of the justification of military action had been changing. The only clear case in international relations for armed intervention had been self-defence, response to aggression. But the notion of intervening on humanitarian grounds had been gaining currency" But after 9/11, "What had seemed inchoate came together." The need for security required preemptive action. Countries which suppressed freedom, harbored terrorists or had weapons of mass destruction had to be dealt with. In effect, Blair agreed with Condoleezza Rice's claim that "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud".
So is the Labour PM really in accord with Bush, Cheyney and Rumsfeld? In Naughtie's thorough discussion, it is not so simple. There is a great difference between Bush and Blair. Naughtie quotes Blair as saying "I never quite understand what people mean by that neocon thing" (p.71)
That may be the key to explain the great divide between Blair and the Bush administration. Blair may not be aware of the gap, or of its enormity. The Prime Minster believes in the importance of democracy. For him, the military action against Iraq or El Qaeda is only a part of a greater attempt to create international security and peace. "You cannot deal with terrorism security as simply a security issue. You also have to deal with the more compassionate side of the issue... the poverty, the lack of interfaith understanding. All these things need to be part of the agenda." Although Bush and his administration may pay lip service to these ideals, for them internationalism and real international cooperation are anathema. They cannot possibly support them.
In my view, Blair's partnership with Bush committed him to the Bush administration's incompetent, corrupt and extremist policies. Naughtie seems to think that Blair's support was essential or at least important, to Bush (see for example p. 203). But I disagree - in the Bush administration, the moderates, as Paul O'Neal observed, act as cover only. Bush would use Blair for all he is worth - but he would concede nothing in return.
I have much sympathy for the ideology Blair advocates, but Bush is no partner for promoting it. Blair's collaboration with the Bush administration not only diminishes his popularity - it also discredits his cause.
Useful account of Blair's links with Bush.......2004-10-24
James Naughtie, the Today presenter, has written a useful account of Blair's links with the USA, particularly with Bush and his colleagues. Naughtie recalls that when he asked Pentagon insider Richard Perle what came next after Afghanistan, Perle replied, "The really important thing is that there is a next."
So, in January 2002, Bush set the timetable for invading Iraq and told Blair. Blair then promised to join Bush's war, secretly changing government policy from peace to war, without telling anybody.
Naughtie writes that the `bloodstream' of the US-British special relationship is the intelligence linkage. Indeed, the USA's intelligence services are the world's biggest and most expensive. Yet all the US intelligence claims about Iraq's WMD - the uranium oxide bought from Niger, the mobile chemical laboratories - have been proven false. US intelligence was so bad that the CIA's head resigned, and his deputy left too.
The Labour government had all these intelligence resources behind them. Yet their notorious government dossier on WMD was largely pilfered from a ten-year-old PhD thesis! So what, exactly, did Britain gain from this so-special relationship and its precious `bloodstream'?
As a result of the illegal invasion of Iraq, there is now an illegal occupation of Iraq. Naughtie quotes a senior Foreign Office man who described the US's occupation policy as `a catastrophe from beginning to end'.
When Naughtie asked Blair if he agreed with the White House lawyer who said that the Geneva Conventions were `quaint', Blair replied, "Of course not. Neither do the Americans." Typically, Blair was denying the evidence just put in front of him.
Labour's war (for the Labour Party could have stopped it, but didn't even try) has weakened all that it holds dear. The link with the USA is in danger, the EU split, NATO divided, the Labour Party eviscerated, and Parliament, the Foreign Office and the intelligence services all discredited. But worse, Labour's war has made Israel increase its killings, thrown the Middle East into chaos, worsened the risks of terrorism to Britain and elsewhere, and added the danger of endless wars in a `clash of civilisations'.
Average customer rating:
|
Off Whitehall: A View from Downing Street by Tony Blair's Advisor
Derek Scott
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ireland
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Leadership
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Leaders & Leadership
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1850436770
Release Date: 2004-10-21 |
Book Description
The relationship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown is unique in British politics and this book describes it from close quarters. The author saw both men in action, advising the Prime Minister for over six years in Downing Street. In government Blair allowed Brown unprecedented sway over domestic policies, but kept a firm grip on foreign affairs, including Europe. This book exposes some of the tensions between the two neighbors both in Downing Street and in Whitehall. The author, as the Prime Minister's top economic advisor, explores Tony Blair's broader vision for Britain within the European Union within the context of an historical perception that sees the British as "reluctant Europeans". Following the failure to agree on the proposed constitution in 2003, governments in the EU have embarked on a renewed attempt put together a new political framework for the EU, which will have a huge effect on the fate of the Euro.
Average customer rating:
- Good Biography - Answers Many Questions
- Tony Blair: More of a Thatcherite than Thatcher herself !
- Nice quick insight from the FT's Philip Stephens
- a superb portrait of america's best friend
- Intro to British politics for Americans
|
Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader
Philip Stephens
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Blair, Tony
| U.K. Prime Ministers
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Family & Childhood
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Political History
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Tony Blair: Prime Minister
-
The Accidental American
-
American Ally: Tony Blair and the War on Terror
-
New Britain: My Vision of a Young Country
-
Thirty Days: Tony Blair and the Test of History
ASIN: 0670033006
Release Date: 2004-02-05 |
Book Description
On March 27, 2003, President George W. Bush said, “America has learned a lot about Tony Blair over the last weeks . . . and we're proud to have him as a friend.” Despite the President's assertion, the average American knows little about Tony Blair except that he remained one of America's strongest allies in the war on terror and, ultimately, in the war against Iraq. But why? What is Blair's agenda? Is he just trying to further England's cause or his own? And how has this man, the youngest British prime minister in centuries, kept strong ties with such fundamentally different presidents as Clinton and Bush?
Philip Stephens—editor of the UK edition of the Financial Times and a man who has known Blair since the beginning of his career—answers for the first time these questions for the American public. Stephens follows the emerging world leader from his boyhood to his leadership of the Labor party and, along the way, exposes his beliefs, his personality, his shortcomings and contradictions, and his role in shaping a new international order.
Customer Reviews:
Good Biography - Answers Many Questions.......2006-07-16
My first book about Blair was "Thirty Days" by Peter Stothard. That book was about a short time period before the Iraq invasion but it got me interested. Also I read Gerry Adam's book "A Farther Shore" and he describes his interaction with Blair. So I was ready to read a Blair biography. I would say this book is good and explains the basics of Blair's career and what makes him tick. So it was good to read but I would say it rates 4 stars. It is not a barn burner or an epic story, but it is a solid job. It is only 250 pages long and skips many things but it covers the basics.
The author Philip Stephens is well qualified to write this book having been a long time journalist and associate editor at the Financial Times. He has known Tony Blair since Blair was a junior Treasury spokesman for Labour Party in the early 1980's and the author has followed Blair's upward career for 20 years keeping in close contact.
One might assume as I did that this might be a flattering or even a fawning portrayal of Tony Blair. But I think it is fair to say that the book is neutral. It is clearly not nasty or overly negative and if the author had that attitude he would never have been able to interview Blair dozens of times as he claims to have done over a twenty-year period.
In short, I was a bit surprised by the book. It is better than I had hoped; it is a solid and well-crafted biography of a complicated person. The author had access to Blair over decades, he has interviewed many of Blair's old friends and associates, and clearly this is an excellent and well researched book by an outstanding journalist. It explains his half Scottish and half Irish roots, his education, his days at Oxford, his first legal job where he met Cherie, his first contacts with Labour, his first seat as an MP, etc. The book manages to touch on all his main career segments and explain how he has progressed step by step, adapting, learning, grasping power, holding onto power, trying to transform his ideas into action, etc. I did find one interesting aspect and that was how he developed his philosophy on supporting Bush. I recently read Zbigniew Brzezinski's book "The Choice" and many of those ideas are similar to Blair. As a result of the war in Kosovo (and Sierra Leone) Blair concluded that other than France and Britain, the EU was essentially helpless in any military conflict and the relation with the US and later Russia was the key to achieving world peace. For that reason he strongly supported US involvement in Kosovo and later backed Bush in Iraq, and continues to support close US-EU ties, and then expanding those ties.
In any case, this is an interesting book and is highly recommend reading as are the other three books that I mentioned..
Tony Blair: More of a Thatcherite than Thatcher herself !.......2005-03-26
I have never visited the moon but then I know that the moon exists. Similarly I have never read this book but I know that it will contain so many lies (perhaps 'untruths' is a nicer-sounding word). For many British people the election of Blair initially gave the hope of a new life in British politics after so many years of Tory rule. They had naively expecteded that a politician coming from the Labour party would restore justice and fair play - but their hopes were betrayed. Not only did Blair continue Thatcher's policy of destroying one of the greatest welfare systems in the world ( thereby making the rich even richer and the poor even poorer) but he also continued her war-mongering policies with even more zeal. He has not only attacked old age pensions, social security and the national health service (once even better than in Scandinavia but now similar to America), but he has also exposed British people worldwide to actual terrorist threats (threats which hitherto had never existed).
I would not like to spend money on a book such as this so that a portion of the royalties would end up in Tony Blair's already bulging pockets; and with this money he could no doubt enjoy another holiday prancing about on a tropical island while so many people in Iraq are still being killed every day. Not having read this work, I would like to say that my rating of one star is no slur on the talent of the biographer (nor can I say that his treatment of Mr. Blair is partial or flattering). However, I am sure that the biographer is reporting what his subject WANTS him to say. I wonder whether this book will provide real unprevaricative answers such as the real truth behind the circumstances of Dr. Kelly's death. I also doubt whether Mr. Blair will provide an adequate explanation as to why a British subject was left to die a barbaric death by being beheaded without his prime minister's intervention (even though that poor man and his family had begged Mr. Blair to save his life). I wonder how many other superficial issues there might be in the book - all of which will serve just to divert attention from the real issue - why did Mr. Blair pretend to the British public that he had actual proof that there were nuclear weapons in Iraq?
A related question which I would not expect to see asked (let alone answered) in this biography is whether his actions really showed the work of a friend. A friend of America is not just someone who ingratiates himself with the leaders of the country, but someone who REALLY cares for the wellbeing of the good and decent American people themselves, especially for all the young heroes who willingly went to give their lives believing (as they were told) that they were doing so to help their country (and paid far less than the employees sent to Iraq to reconstruct the oil industry). A friend is not someone who is always a fawning follower and a servile 'yesman'. A real friend is someone who is sincere and points out the truth. Two years ago he had the opportunity to offer his American counterpart the advice of a real friend. If such advice had been taken then thousands of innocent people would still be alive today.
Nice quick insight from the FT's Philip Stephens.......2004-08-18
I read Philip Stephens' column each time it appears in the Financial Times' editorial page. Readers of that space will have realized that Stephens' has good access to Tony Blair, his inner circle and the workings of British government. As such, this book - a quick, worthhwhile read - is a good primer for the U.S.-based reader in gaining insight as to how that system of government works.
In terms of painting the picture of how Blair and team (and mostly Blair, by the way) made its way towards partnership with the US in the actions in Iraq, there's a better source: Peter Stothard's "Thirty Days" is by far the better insider's view of that process. However, Stothard's book is emphatically not a biography. So, if you want insights on the roots and rise of Tony Blair - especially vis-a-vis his complex relationship with PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown - Stephens' book will suit you fine. [Although Stephens' himself goes on to suggest other sources that cover specific topics better than he, most notably James Naughtie's "The Rivals," which covers the Blair/Brown saga in splendorific detail.]
A couple of annoying editing mistakes are worth noting. Inner-circle confidant Alastair Campbell is repeatedly called 'Alistair.' I fault the editors here - this is a main character (he dominates "Thirty Days"). Sure, 'Alastair' is a non-conventional spelling, but the man deserves to have his name spelled correctly. Also, Spainard Javier Solana - head of NATO at the time of that organization's actions in Kosovo - becomes Xavier Solana. Charo was apparently unavailable for comment.
a superb portrait of america's best friend.......2004-06-20
If you want to know why the British prime minister went to war with the US then read this well-written and insightful biography of a great world leader. Stephens produces an elegant account of the personal beliefs, strategic calculations and straightforward loyalty that kept the UK alongside the US in a time of danger. The biography is stylishly-written and full of original material
Intro to British politics for Americans.......2004-05-25
As author Philip Stephens notes, many Americans who saw British prime minister Tony Blair all buddy-buddy with his close friend and philosophical soulmate Bill Clinton were surprised to see Blair in apparently an equally close relationship with George W. Bush just a few months later. Other Americans may simply have wondered who this man was who became Bush's closest ally in the run-up to war in Iraq and his guest during an address to Congress.
Either way, this biography has many of the answers those Americans may be looking for. While it is not the definitive biography of Anthony Charles Lynton Blair -- and it's obviously too early to measure his impact on UK politics, since he's still in office -- this title is nevertheless a good introduction to this major player on the world stage.
Stephens, a writer for the Financial Times newspaper, has had a great deal of access to Blair over the years, including personal interviews specifically for this book. It's not entirely surprising, therefore, that Stephens takes a generally positive tone with his subject. While he does not downplay Blair's weaknesses, including a number of unattractive personality traits, neither is he heavily critical of the man. He also tends to be light in his coverage of others' criticisms of Blair, except insofar as they have shaped the man himself or had a lasting impact on his political outlook or success in office.
No question that this book is more about personality than politics ... but I hasten to add that I think Stephens has done a fine job in showing how Blair's political words and deeds proceed consistently and logically from his personality and his underlying beliefs. Unlike Clinton, Blair does seem to have a solid set of core principles that transcend mere political expedience. Stephens argues that this in part explains Blair's ability to get along with President Bush on matters of global policy. At the same time, Blair is also a consummate and accomplished politician, who recognizes (again, as Stephens argues) that the British prime minister ultimately has little alternative *except* to do all he can to keep the UK's relationship with the US on solid footing, regardless of who is in the White House.
In short, this title may seem a bit too glossy and superficial to Americans who already have some degree of familiarity with British politics and Tony Blair himself. However, for those who don't, or who seek a quick refresher course, Stephens' book has a lot to argue for it. I consider myself relatively conversant with the UK's politics and government, but still learned a lot from reading this. I think other readers may find themselves reaching the same conclusion.
Average customer rating:
- A critical look at a compelling subject
|
Blairs and Their Court
Francis Beckett , and
David Hencke
Manufacturer: Aurum Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| British
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Leaders & Leadership
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1845130243 |
Book Description
Two top investigative journalists offer a “warts–and–all” portrait of the British Prime Minister and his wife Cherie Booth, including their complicated love affair with the rich, the royal, and the House of Lords, and the gradual dissolution of the Blair “court.”
Customer Reviews:
A critical look at a compelling subject.......2006-01-08
I nearly passed this book over, because a critical biography that seemed - at least nominally - to include the Prime Minister's wife seemed likely to be a tawdry psycho-drama. Actually, it's a fairly thoughtful work, especially the first half, dealing with the pre-Downing Street years. The authors plainly interpret Blair as a duplicitous control freak, who requires loyal surrogates to do his dirty work, and to position themselves to take blame for him, either willingly or unwillingly. His New Labour tack to the right is seen as neither entirely necessary nor really responsible for Labour's electoral success. The book makes its case plausibly, and balances the popular interpretation in the US that Blair's partnership with Bush on Iraq was a sudden departure brought on by excessive religiosity and concern for the "special relationship." There is more continuity in this account. The second half of the book feels a bit rushed, and the excellent discussion of Blair's preference for informal CEO-style decision-making over traditional Cabinet government could have been effectively expanded. The book was clearly written for a British readership, and the references to a number of occurrences and issues need annotation for an American. (What are "topping-off fees," and exactly who is Cilla Black?) The search engine for the BBC News website is an excellent supplement to give the context needed for Americans who don't know what to make of Tony Blair.
Average customer rating:
- Its About The Man's Activities - Not What He Thinks
- Snapshot of a critical month
- British politics in all its fun and seriousness
- Big Let Down
- A close-up, brilliant look...at Alastair Campbell
|
Thirty Days: Tony Blair and the Test of History
Peter Stothard
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Blair, Tony
| U.K. Prime Ministers
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Iraq
| Middle East
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Western
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Public Affairs & Administration
| Government
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Diplomacy
| International
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader
-
The Accidental American
-
American Ally: Tony Blair and the War on Terror
-
Tony Blair: Prime Minister
ASIN: 0060582618 |
Book Description
Tony Blair was America's closest ally in the war against Saddam Hussein. It was a powerful yet precarious position for the British Prime Minister, as he fought for his own future in backing George W. Bush and sending Britain's forces into Iraq. In this gripping day-by-day chronicle, Peter Stothard takes us behind the scenes as no one has before to reveal a unique portrait of a political leader under fire at the center of the world stage.
Over a period of four weeks in March and April of 2003, Tony Blair risked his status as the United Kingdom's most successful Labour Prime Minister for the chance of an unknowable place in history. Before Britain could help the United States, Blair faced a battle against his own voters, his own party, and his own allies in Europe. These were among the most tense and tumultuous weeks the world had seen since the fall of the Berlin Wall. In thirty days, Blair took on his opponents and won.
Through it all, Peter Stothard had unprecedented access to Blair, from Ten Downing Street and the House of Commons through the war summits in the Azores, Brussels, Belfast, and Camp David. No writer has ever been so close to a world head of state for so long at such a critical moment. Stothard brings us inside the corridors of power during this extraordinary time, offering a vivid, up-close view of an enormously popular leader facingthe challenge of his life. How Blair spent those thirty days, how he fought for his own future as well as his vision of the civilized world, how he changed, and why he survived are at the heart of this riveting inside account.
Customer Reviews:
Its About The Man's Activities - Not What He Thinks.......2006-07-17
This is a short 200 plus page book and it is a one evening read. Once you start it is hard to put the book down. I just read until I was finished. The cast of characters include Blair (mainly), his son Leo Blair and Cherie Blair (only briefly), his staff Campbell, Morgan and Powell, fellow politicians Jack Straw, Clare Short, Robin Cook, John Reid of the Labour Party and other British politicians and civil servants, George Bush, Colin Powel, and Condoleezza Rice. Chirac, Aznar, and Schroeder are at meetings or involved. Miller the Polish Prime Minister and Arafat make telephone appearances. The press is lurking in the background.
My quick view of the book is that the author and former Times editor Peter Stothard acts like he is not in the room but rather he is a quiet observer just recording the events without comments and editorial comments. A "fly on the wall" so to speak for 30 days. The book starts on Monday March 10 and ends Wednesday April 9. The war starts March 20 2003.
At the beginning or near the beginning of the book Blair acknowledges that Bush will proceed with or without Britain. The war seems set and there will be no consensus at the UN.
What I found odd about the book is that there is very little mention of the WMD's, or the other reasons for going to war. There is no mention of intelligence briefings, or satellite pictures or similar. By March 10 his mind has been made up. It is more about damage control, politics, speeches, and not having ministers resigning and similar. His image in the press and on TV share a high priority along with with diplomacy. By March 10 the decision has been made.
The question on everyone's mind is why does Blair back George Bush - the "poodle principle". Blair is almost alone, and the other leaders in the "coalition" do so with great reluctance. They make a minimal contribution to the Iraqi war effort and they seem poised to not want to cooperate or back out at any moment. So why does Blair do it? The only strong point we learn or hear is that by that date (March 10) Blair is determined to proceed seemingly at any cost to maintain US ties with Europe. He has decided to let "history" judge him for how the situation ends rather than trying to further explain his actions privately. He thinks that the UN should be involved, but barring no UN consensus his main point (among his 6 talking points to parliament) is that he does not want the US to become more isolated than it already is through complete 100% unilateral action. So at least Britain will help.
We get a feel for his compressed and overstressed life, a political juggling act, his lack of sleep, his battle to survive as the Labour leader in a parliamentary system where he must face his opposition daily in question period and his caucus weekly. They all seem to be after his job and Iraq is as good as an excuse as any to oppose Blair. Unlike Bush he can be voted out by his own party on a whim - like Thatcher - so he is not secure for the term elected in parliament (5 years).
One thing that comes out is that Blair acts like a lightening rod for many parties that no longer have access to Bush. This includes various Muslim messengers and diplomats visiting him and his talks with Arafat and others by telephone.
Since we already knew most of that - the book seems a bit anti-climatic and deals a lot with the logistics of his day-to-day life, the trivial details, his meals, his assistants, and travel. It gives us an intimate feel for the life of the PM in the confined space of 10 Downing. It covers his meetings with other leaders, and various other dignitaries, his telephone calls to Bush etc. The logistics do not tell us a lot new, although there are some details on Robin Cook's resignation and similar tidbits. He comes across as an energetic and very focused man, with a strong inner compass and lots of self confidence, and a strong determined leader with an ability to take and absorb a lot of domestic criticism.
So the book is all very very interesting but short on any new insights. But still a great book.
Snapshot of a critical month.......2004-06-08
Though they are very different in style, this book shares some important similarities with Bob Woodward's "Bush at War" (2002), in that both provide insider looks at political leaders in the weeks before they lead (or send) their nations into battle. But while the ubiquitous Woodward writes big, portentous books that themselves often end up affecting the debate, "Thirty Days" is a quick, journalistic snapshot that doesn't pretend to be a lot more than that. That made this a refreshing and sometimes enlightening read.
I recently finished another title on the British PM ("Tony Blair: The Making of a World Leader" by Philip Stephens [2004]), so I felt relatively familiar with the central players in this book. Peter Stothard's quick, journalistic style introduces names and titles quickly, and while the players become clearer to us in the course of the narrative, Americans who don't have much contextual familiarity with British politicians may find themselves playing a bit of catch-up here.
Since 9/11, of course, Tony Blair himself has become more familiar to American news-watchers than any British politician since Churchill -- with the possible exception of Baroness Thatcher. Therefore, even Americans who may not be up-to-date on the Who's Who of Whitehall will probably find a lot of interest and instruction here. Not least, they will see the influence -- for good or ill -- that American politics and political pressures have in the counsels of our allies.
Peter Stothard's book isn't a biography of Blair or a political analysis of his policies and his decisions. Instead, it's a look inside the highest reaches of British politics during one of the more eventful months in recent British history. American as well as British readers can gain a lot from the unique access Stothard enjoyed, and the useful work that came out of those thirty days.
British politics in all its fun and seriousness.......2004-01-19
Here Peter Stothard outlines how Tony Blair worked hard ("all out" is a constantly recurring phrase) to create a world-or at least the conditions for a world-in which the "UN frees itself from helpless torpor, [in which the Allies send] a lesson to extremist nations that terrorism will be met by massive force, [and to Israelis and Palestinians and the Irish] that America will not tolerate conditions of permanent instability."
And it tells of the many frustrations Tony Blair met while trying to achieve that objective. For example, after George Bush published the roadmap for peace (something Tony Blair worked very hard to achieve) the Prime Minister received a call from Yasser Arafat. He spent a bit of time on the phone with him (and got a chance to say a brief hello and congratulations to Abu Mazen before Arafat snatched the phone away) and when he replaced the receiver, he looked up at a television screen to see "a Palestinian representative damning Bush's motives."
He says nothing but his aid says it for him, "They've got to be told [that] this is their chance. If they don't use it, they'll lose it."
And then there is the never-ending frustration with the BBC which John Reid may or may not have called the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation. But "even if he didn't say it," Peter Stothard assures us, "it's ___ well true." The Secretary of Defense (and his porcelain cup which nearly suffered a terrible fate thanks to the BBC) would most likely agree.
And then there are the conspiracy theories out on the street, just outside No. 10. Conspiracy theories propagated not by the "ignorant masses" but by elderly Arab professors, sipping coffee at the Churchill café and assuring their students that "oil companies and Israeli spies and Russians whose names have not been heard since the Communist days" are all working together to manipulate current events.
But above all, this is about the British political culture. Where else would talk of football/soccer dominate even at the height of the war? In what other country would the French President's comment that the British had "made a deformation of his view on the veto" be met with "Does he mean we got the translation wrong?" And in what other country would a three-year old pick up a telephone call from the President of the United States and pass the phone to the Prime Minister with the cry, "Dad, pick up the phone."
This is a book about Tony Blair vision and of how he tries to educate his American counterparts on what it takes to "get to where they all eventually want to go." (You want peace in the Middle East, great; but it will be neither fast nor easy. Here, look how hard it is to achieve peace in Northern Ireland-and compared to the Middle East this is a walk in the park.) It is about the vagaries of British political culture. It is about how one man acquires an unshakeable certainty that what he is doing is the right thing.
But perhaps more than all that, it is a beautifully written book (not something one can often say of books on current events) that is filled with humor and irony and is, quite simply, a very good read. I highly recommend it.
Big Let Down.......2004-01-10
I found this book very disappointing. Prior to the Iraqi crisis I was not a very big fan of Tony Blair. But since then I have developed a true respect for his strength and courage for sticking by America. Having lived in England during the 90's I knew the atmosphere and attitude that most English hold against the USA, so I could understand the pressure that the Prime Minister must have been under during these times.
When I saw this book, I had to get it. I thought this would show what really happened within the Blair administration and the UK government leading up to the Iraqi war. Evidently, Peter Stothard was not at Tony's side throughout these 30 days, as the book depicks. He was out in the hallway. For instead of reading about what went on within the meetings and press conferences, and reading the historic speeches that Tony made to the Parliment and House of Commons, we get what happened in the hallways with the people going into and coming out of the sessions. All we get is the one liners that the Blair administration made on the side. There's no insight what Tony Blair actually went through, the pressures that he and his family had to endure, and the arguements he had with his staff and the rest of the government. Peter was definiely kept at arms length. In fact, he wasn't even with the Prime Minister through several of the weekends during these 30 days.
In summary, I was left with no greater insight into Tony Blair than when I first started to read the book. Oh, there is one thing, Tony likes green apples.
A close-up, brilliant look...at Alastair Campbell.......2003-09-29
Peter Stothard's task (or prize) is to tail Tony Blair for the 30 most crucial days of his prime ministership. But I feel like he never connects with Blair during that time. Either TB is holding back during this period or Stothard never gets the total access he touts. Either way, Blair seems like he's simply part of the woodwork in the story.
But not that the book is totally without merit or interest. Where it does excel is in depicting Blair's inner circle. Stothard points out that Blair's governing model - to an upprecedented extent in British history - more resembles an American presidency than a typical Prime Ministry. "Unelected advisors" dominate the space closest to Blair. We're used to that here. But in the UK, TB's total absorbtion of his role model Bill Clinton's approach to governing is seen as an alarming trend.
Dominating the scene is media advisor Alastair Campbell. Perhaps that's because as an ex-journalist, he connects best with Stothard. Or maybe it's because Campbell is undoubtedly Stothard's patron in this endeavour. [Like Blair would suggest that a journalist tag along with him for 30 days?] But, it's more than that. Campbell dominates the book because Stothard has got it right. Campbell is *the* dominating presence in Blair inner circle. In the whole aftermath of the Iraqi conflict - the WMD debate, the row with the BBC, the suicide of Dr. Kelly - Campbell's fingerprints are everywhere.
He's a constant presence here on almost every page. He has the best jokes (Blair asks him for help in drafting the start of a speech...Campbell suggests "My fellow Americans..."), is connected to the best information (all via text messaging it seems), sees around all the corners. All while training for the London Marathon (which the 43-year-old finished in 3:53 shortly after the 30 Days were up...a great achievement considering all he was going through during training).
It's tough to imagine how the Prime Minister is going to survive without this guy by his side everyday.
Average customer rating:
|
Case to Answer: A First Report on the Potential Impeachment of the Prime Minister for High Crimes And Misdemeanors in Relation to the Invasion of Iraq
Glen Rangwala , and
Dan Plesch
Manufacturer: Spokesman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Iraq
| Middle East
| History
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ireland
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Leaders & Leadership
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0851247040 |
Books:
- The Walls of Jericho : Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell and the Struggle for Civil Rights
- Truman
- Truman
- Truman
- Ulysses S. Grant : Memoirs and Selected Letters : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant / Selected Letters, 1839-1865 (Library of America)
- Virtual Teams: People Working Across Boundaries with Technology
- W. E. Gladstone III: Autobiographical Memoranda, 1845-1866 (Prime Ministers' Papers)
- Waiting for God (Perennial Classics)
- Walk in My Soul
- What We Lost: Based on a True Story
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- America's Wilderness: The Photographs of Ansel Adams
- The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from
- Keepsakes and Other Stories
- History: Fiction or Science
- Institutes of the Christian Religion
- Quantum Field Theory: From Operators to Path Integrals
- National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region
- How to Get Rid of the Income Tax
- Machiavelli on Management: Playing and Winning the Corporate Power Game
- Who's Who in Canadian Business 2000
France On the Brink: A Great Civilization Faces a New Century
Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000
Comparative Politics Today: A World View, Update Edition (8th Edition)
The Survivor: Tony Blair in Peace and War
The Blair Years: The Alastair Campbell Diaries
