Political Autobiographies

MrWoodySir · 29/07/15 - 16:41

Anyone know if Clegg and Ed are planning on writing an autobiography? I'd be very interested in Nick Clegg's especially.

I'd probably by a Vince Cable or William Hague one as well seen as both have had long careers in politics.

nainz · 29/07/15 - 22:40

I don't think Clegg or Miliband have anything planned, MPs usual don't drop anything good until they are out of office. Hauge might and probably does have something planned but I wonder if the Cons having a majority might delay it, as not to rock the boat.

Vince Cable has a one out in September called "After the Storm" http://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/After%20the%20Storm

Norman Baker also has one out in September called "Against the Grain" which could be interesting https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/against-the-grain

There is also "Call Me Dave" The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron by Lord Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott out in October https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/call-me-dave

Might be more in the pipeline for Christmas, but that's all I could see for now.

Dotheboyshall · 30/07/15 - 07:01

Suppose they are good if you have insomnia.

Jim_McIntosh · 31/07/15 - 02:58

What political autobiographies or biographies would you recommend to someone who had never read any before?

nainz · 31/07/15 - 15:50

Jim_McIntosh wrote: »

What political autobiographies or biographies would you recommend to someone who had never read any before?

Blair/New Labour/Labour 1997-2010...

Tony Blair "A Journey"
Peter Mandelson "The Third Man"
Alastair Campbell "Diaries, Vol. 1: Prelude to Power"
Alastair Campbell "Diaries, Vol, 2: Power and the People"
Alastair Campbell "Diaries, Vol. 3: Power and Responsibility"
Alastair Campbell "Diaries, Vol. 4: The Burden of Power"
Bob Marshall-Andrews "Off Message"
Jack Straw "Last Man Standing"
Robin Cook "The Point of Departure"
Peter Hain "Outside In"
Chris Mullin "Tales From the Foothills"
Chris Mullin "Decline and Fall"
Chris Mullin "A Walk On Part"
Clair Short "An Honourable Deception"
Damian McBride "Power Trip"
Damian McBride "Omnishambles"
Anthony Seldon "Blair"
Anthony Seldon "Blair Unbound"
Anthony Seldon "Brown at 10"
Gordon Brown "Beyond the Crash"
Steve Richards "Whatever it Takes"
Andrew Rawnsley "The End of the Party"
James Macintyre/Mehdi Hasan "Ed"

Barak Obama...

Barak Obama "Dreams from My Father"
Barak Obama "THe Audacity of Hope"
John Heilemann/Mark Halperin "Race of a Lifetime"
John Heilemann/Mark Halperin "Double Down"
Hillary Clinton "Hard Choices"
Leon Panetta "Worthy Fights"
David Axelrod "Believer"
Bob Woodward "Obama's Wars"

Others...

Janan Ganesh "George Osbourne"
Michael Bloch "Jeremy Thorpe"
Denis Healey "The Time of My Life"
John Campbell "Roy Jenkins"
Dennis Skinner/Kevin Maguire "Sailing Close to the Wind"
Alan Cark "Diaries"
Tony Benn "Diaries"
John Major "The Autobiography"
Paddy Ashdown "A Fortunate Life"
Bill Clinton "My Life"
Margaret Thatcher "The Downing Street Years"
Nelson Mandela "Long Walk to Freedom"
Benazir Bhutto "Daughter of the East"

Jim_McIntosh · 31/07/15 - 20:26

Thanks for that nainz. I'm not quite sure what point of history I want to jump to. Considering a WW1 broad perspective or maybe something more recent like Blair's years. Not the glossy official version though but a warts and all one.

I've listened to the Alastair Campbell diaries before now that I think about it., or watched a documentary of it, I can't remember now. Maybe the McBride ones will be for me in view of that.

Styker · 31/07/15 - 20:48

Jim_McIntosh wrote: »

What political autobiographies or biographies would you recommend to someone who had never read any before?

John Major's was a very good one I thought and even though its not a autobiography, a book revealing the ins and outs of Blair's Government, esp during the build up to war in Iraq renamed as The Survivour but originally called The Blair's and Their Court was a very good book indeed too. Starts off with how Blair got the legal advice on the Iraq war twice over giving two different takes on whether or not it was legal.

platelet · 31/07/15 - 21:05

Jim_McIntosh wrote: »

What political autobiographies or biographies would you recommend to someone who had never read any before?

Alan Clark Diaries, in TV form, with John Hurt

alfamale · 31/07/15 - 23:39

Jim_McIntosh wrote: »

Thanks for that nainz. I'm not quite sure what point of history I want to jump to. Considering a WW1 broad perspective or maybe something more recent like Blair's years. Not the glossy official version though but a warts and all one.

I've listened to the Alastair Campbell diaries before now that I think about it., or watched a documentary of it, I can't remember now. Maybe the McBride ones will be for me in view of that.

The latter New Labour years, end of Blair and the couple of years of Brown are really well covered, especially the way govt worked after the falling out of Blair and Brown when Blair was still PM, in Andrew Ransley's "The End of the Party" - quite factual as it seems many within the govt of the time were prepared to talk to Rawnsley as long as they weren't directly attributed to what they told.

AnnieJay · 01/08/15 - 00:53

I just finished reading Dennis Skinner's - really enjoyable. Read Thatcher's Downing Street years too - not bad. Damian McBride, Alan Clark and Robin Cook are all on my 'to read' shelf at the mo.

Jim_McIntosh · 01/08/15 - 02:11

platelet wrote: »

Alan Clark Diaries, in TV form, with John Hurt

Thanks. I've actually seen this before as well so I guess I've encountered more political biographies than I realise, just that they've all been adapted to tv first.

LostFool · 01/08/15 - 12:22

Of the recent generation of politicians, I hope Ed Balls writes his memoirs. I'm sure he has lots of juicy stories about working under Blair, Brown and Miliband - although he will probably hold off until he finds out if his wife becomes leader.

I think Ed M would struggling to get a publishing deal.

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