Tony Blair’s political memoir has been pulled apart this week as though it were the palace of a fallen dictator, not so much reviewed as ransacked. Reporters have raced through its 700 pages as though each were some hitherto shuttered room hiding unused ammunition, looted antiquities, piles of purposeless propaganda, racks of vintage wines and extravagant wardrobes. With no prior newspaper serialization deal, there was a stampede for stories that matched the frenzy for Saddam’s Picassos or Mrs Marcos’s shoes. The British may not like him much any more but the media remain fascinated by the man who led their government for a decade, led an unelectable party to three election victories, followed an unprecedentedly unpopular American President into even more unpopular wars and redefined the role of Prime Minister for an age in which the lines between the political and the personal were themselves being redefined.
Friday, September 10, 2010
A Journey
Peter Stothard reviews A Journey, Tony Blair's new memoir:
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I was thinking about actually buying this book. But not being a fan of Tony Blair, politically or literacy-wise, I decided against it. And from hearing the opinions of some people and hearing a little about the subject matter I'll probably wait for the price to drop a bit before I shell out enough money for a copy.
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