Product Description

The first volume of Anthony Seldon's riveting and definitive life of Tony Blair was published to great acclaim in 2004. Now, as the Labour Party and the country get used to their new leader and a new Prime Minister, Seldon delivers the most complete, authoritative and compelling account yet of the Blair premiership. Picking up the story in dramatic fashion on 11 September 2001, Seldon then brings us right up to date as Blair hands over the reins to his arch-rival, Gordon Brown. Based on hundreds of original interviews with key insiders, many of whose views have hitherto been kept private, BLAIR UNBOUND serves both as a fascinating 'volume two' of this masterclass in contemporary history and a highly revealing and compelling book in its own right.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31987 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Review
"This account of the Blair era, so soon after its end, is likely to be the fullest for many years. It is a solid foundation stone for history. Even so, it does not quite answer the question: who is Tony Blair? No one could have cast a wider net than Seldon and yet his subject, elusive as ever, somehow slithers through its mesh." --"Observer"

Customer Reviews

The best book on Blair yet, if not ever.
Judging by the footnotes, this book has been meticulously researched. The author evidently had access to Blair's advisors and close team. More of his witnesess are civil servants than politicians. As a result, it is actually a very balanced analysis. The reviews below miss this point, and are both clearly anti-Blair. This book isn't written to verbally bash the man. There is no reason for the author to be biased. He sets outs the facts, as reported by those close to the key events, and lets the reader interpret and judge the man, rather than the author doing it himself. This surely is the purpose of all contemporary biography. Let us leave it to future historians to decide this man's place in British and world politics.

Thorough, balanced, very good... but not an all time great
This is a very readable book - I enjoyed it and chomped my way through it in no time at all. (Bite sizes structure made it splendid reading on the loo in fact!).

Seldon has clearly had great access to Blair's advisors, though it's a bit light on new material from Blair's politician peers. There's a lot lifted from autobiographies from people like Campbell and Blunkett.

Analysis of issues is strong: very balanced and concise.

But - other than the marvelous blow by blow section on how Blair and his team handled the 7/7 bombings - the book a bit short on the human interest details that could have made this a really great book.

As it stands it's well worth a read for people interested in general modern UK politics, or those wishing to gain an insight in to the machinations of life inside Number 10 during the second half of the Blair years.

The picture says it all
Having seen the picture of Mr Blair on the book cover, I felt that it was safe to assume that this book would not be a whitewash or an attempt to alter history.

The reason I go for biographies is because I prefer 'warts and all' rather than just the good or the bad. Though this is not a biography it is nevertless a book which has been fair. It left me feeling sorry for Mr Blair though rather worried at just how much power a PM possesses. I was naive enough to believe that government was by Cabinet, though never stupid enough to believe that backbenchers counted for much. I recall that some joker once tried to compare T Blair to W Churchill!!