Tony Blair

by John Rentoul

The son of a conservative and educated at private schools, Tony Blair became a socialist and Christian while at Oxford University. This biography traces the influences which shaped him, provides an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316854964
• ISBN13: 9780316854962
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: LITTLE BROWN
• Length: 636 Pages
• Weight: 2.56 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Really fabulous, I thought

Well worth reading, even though my edition stopped just before Blair's first election as PM. The author didn't write it for Americans -- I had to guess at a lot of the British electoral and political terminology -- but he seems to have a subtle and sophisticated sense of politicians and the UK electorate from the 1970s to mid-1990s. One big surprise was the extent to which the Blairites intentionally copied themes from the 1992 Clinton campaign. Whether that makes you smile or grimace no doubt depends on your opinion of New Democrats.

Balanced and fair: Amazing!

As a "Blairite" (I can feel prejudices leaping into life even as I type), I was expecting this book to jump on the bandwagon of New Labour bashing, as it just isn't the done thing to give the current government credit for anything. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover that this biography is astonishingly well balanced. TB's sincerity and achievements are given due recognition, while the author at the samw time paints a portrait of a driven man, who has expertly used the machinery of politics to his advantage, utilising all sorts of arguably cynical plotting and dancing through a myriad morally grey areas. You will almost certianly take from this book what you bring to it. If you feel that Tony Blair has been a good PM, and person in general, then Mr. Rentoul's willingness to showcase Labour's progressive measures will reassure you of the tangible effect he has has on the country. If you feel that New Labour hasn't delivered, that it's "all spin and no delivery" (oh, how I hate that phrase!), or that he sold socialism down the river, then you'll also find enough evidence to justify your complaints. The bbok itself is well written, packed with insight, and superbly backed up with the relevant quotes and a thorough list of references. If you have any interest in modern British politics, you'll like this.