Brown's Britain

This is a rambling, badly organized and poorly written book.
Peston needs a good editor. The editor's first task should be to remove the brackets keys from Peston's typewriter. Then she should remove the dash key. This might help to remove the author's constant temptation to insert long, irrelevant parenthetical remarks that do little more than distract the reader.
Then she should carve up the countless long, rambling sentences and throw out all the quotations that simply repeat what Peston himself has already said.
Better still, she should include a note at the beginning of the book saying, unless you are a masochist, don't bother with this awful tome; read Anthony Seldon's "Blair Unbound" instead.

Engaging and enjoyable analysis of Mr "Prudence with a Purpose" (2/5 people found this helpful)

Gordon Brown is portrayed here with some degree of admiration, both for what he has achieved as Chancellor since 1997 and for his undoubted and strongly-held ideological underpinnings (one of the many similarities with Thatcher that Peston brings to our attention). This is well-written, highly journalistic book, packed full of detail, anecdote and who allegedly said what to whom, why and when in the corridors of power in Westminster. However, it's not all about recurring personality clashes and murky insider machinations. There are cogent evaluations of Brown's role in Labour Party politics pre-1997, his expansive role in social and economic policy-making as Chancellor, and good summaries of the effectiveness of his flagship policies, plus much that is useful on the changing internal machinery of the Treasury. The fraught and sometimes embittered relations between the Treasury and No. 10 are a recurrent and enjoyable theme here. Peston effectively conveys the importance of certain members of Brown's political clique, espcially Ed Balls, with latter coming across - again, with no little admiration - as the animating genius of much that Brown and the Labour government have done on macro-economic policy since assuming office. The most insightful and interesting pages are reserved for Labour's internal politics surrounding the UK's potential entry to the Euro, which is covered in two excellent chapters; much light is shed on the differences and divisions between Brown and Blair on this issue.
Overall, then, an often fascinating book, both informative and enjoyable - the author has much to say about both the man (Brown) and the machine (the Treasury) that he has dominated for nearly a decade.

Brown's Britain.....Tony's Way (4/5 people found this helpful)

This book was a real eye opener. Being a strong conservative i wanted to read what was going on with the hype over Brown and Blair. The entire book tells the reader what all pro tories and many doubting labourites know that Blair and Brown really shouldn't be best pals.

Good read for many keen politicans. This should be renamed the handbook for backstabbers !!

a hagiography (7/14 people found this helpful)

I read somewhere that peston's biography had been dictated by one of gordon brown's aides. True or not this book is much more a hagiography than a balanced assessment of brown's career. As chancellor brown has been an effective politician. But he has damaged himself and the government by his obsessive pursuit of the top job, a point peston glides over. If we are to believe this account he also wants to return the country to the bad old days when the unions ran monolithic public services. peston's account has some interesting insights but no real balance.

incisive and important (12/21 people found this helpful)

This book transcends all the recent media hype. It is actually a very serious analysis of New Labour, which looks beneath all the spin and gloss and asks what has actually been achieved since 1997. It is written by someone who clearly not only understands the politics and the economics, but also knows the personalities involved and really understands what makes them tick. Although some of the analysis of fiscal policy was at time rather complex, I found the book to be mostly very readable. An interesting, incisive and important exploration of the recent history of Britain, which poses some interesting questions about the next election and beyond.

Robert Peston

Reader Reviews:

Brown Deserves Better (2/2 people found this helpful)

Engaging and enjoyable analysis of Mr "Prudence with a Purpose" (2/5 people found this helpful)

Brown's Britain.....Tony's Way (4/5 people found this helpful)

a hagiography (7/14 people found this helpful)

incisive and important (12/21 people found this helpful)

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