Product Description

A fly-on-the-wall account of a month spent behind the scenes with Tony Blair as he attempted to win support for a war against Saddam. The book, by a former editor of "The Times", is a diary which begins with the Prime Minister being slow hand-clapped in a TV studio and ends with the fall of Saddam's statue - a moment as iconic as those scenes atop the US Embassy in Saigon more than 25 years ago - and which takes us backstage at Number 10, in the Azores, at Camp David, and at Hillsborough.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #621990 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
30 Days: A Month a the Heart of Blair's War is a closely observed fly-on-the-wall record of political and domestic life at 10 Downing Street, and of Tony Blair's leadership throughout the war against Iraq--told by former Times editor Peter Stothard.

On the whole Blair comes across as a man of strength, conviction and genuine integrity; he won't be disappointed with this book, but then neither will the reader. The events themselves naturally lend drama and pace but Stothard's narrative style--intimate, immediate and compelling--also manages to reveal something about the personality of the major players. The book is not just a study of the character of Tony Blair but also a fascinating set of personal observations about Alistair Campbell, John Prescott, Clare Short, Jack Short, Robin Cook, Sally Morgan, the American contingent--including Bush, Powell, Condeleeza Rice--as well as the Downing Street clock-winder and tea-lady.

Those who have been reading the literature on the war such as The Guardian's recent The War We Could Not Stop and Dilip Hiro's excellent Iraq: A View From the Inside will find this an excellent complementary read. Those who like voyeuristic looks at powerful people, the political process through times of crisis or the Labour Party today should be delighted with it. --Larry Brown

Review
During 30 days in March and April 2003, former Times editor Sir Peter Stothard travelled everywhere with Tony Blair. The original idea had been to portray the day-to-day life of a Prime Minister who was about to celebrate his 50th birthday. The fact that war against Iraq happened to come along during those 30 days provided Stothard with a journalistic scoop, but it was an enormous irritation for Blair. The last thing he wanted at a time of personal and international crisis was a reporter hovering over his shoulder. But to his credit he didn't duck out of the commitment - he allowed Stothard to remain. The book exposes many cherished beliefs as myth, or at least as dubious hype. The 'special relationship' between Blair and Bush was not always as amiable as both sides were keen to portray. Indeed, Blair was taken aback when the Americans launched the war without telling him it was about to happen. And the much-demonised Alastair Campbell, portrayed in the popular press as a dictator at Number 10, emerges as a plain-talking but honest aide. Campbell never shrinks from telling Blair the unpleasant truth even if it is not what his boss wants to hear. Campbell is also shown to have a sense of humour. When Blair asked for ideas about how to open his televised address to the British people, Campbell suggested, 'How about "My fellow Americans..."'. Blair was not amused. Stothard's book takes the form of a diary, leading readers through days of intrigue and inexorable tension. We see Blair's reaction after being slow-handclapped by a TV audience, and his annoyance at continued public hostility to his stance on Iraq. When asked about his conscience as British soldiers were dying, he declared, 'I will answer to my Maker.' But he left no doubt whose side he believed God was on. From Number 10 to the Azores and Camp David, readers are made privy to every top-level action and meeting. A remarkable encapsulation of history, and brilliantly illustrated by Nick Danziger, whose photographs say much about the pressures on a Prime Minister at war. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Peter Stothard was editor of The Times from 1992 to 2002, the period of its greatest commercial success for a century, and is currently editor of theTimes Literary Supplement. He was knighted for his services to newspapers in

Customer Reviews

Light but Enjoyable
This is a bright, breezy yet quite fascinating view of the inner workings of Number 10 Downing Streetduring the days leading up to and including the Second Gulf War.

Firstly what this book is not: It is not filled with deep analysis of Blair's policies. There is no weighing of the moral issues behind fighting Saddam Hussein. There aren't many shocking revelations of skeletons in the Downing Street cupboards, no kiss and tell stories here.

So what do you get here? Basically what it says: a behind the scenes look at the workings of the Blair team by a powerful journalist given access for thirty days. There are not many details spared in describing Number 10, from carpet colours to whose office is where. It is interesting to see what roles the leading members of the team play, who can get away with jibes and who tries hard to please.

We also get to see just how much like any other office in the country this is. We have Alistair Campbell's "What do Saddam and Blackburn Rovers have in common" jokes. We see the most powerful people in the country passing around a Wagon Wheel. There is little Leo's train set which seems to run all over the house.

Then we have the relations with other leaders. One of the books strengths is showing how Blair works with Bush and how the American team operates on a much grander scale than the British. There is Chiraq, who is disliked and respected at the same time.

Aside from the war we get a peek at what Blair has to deal with for most of the year: stikes, taxes, school teachers, the Scottish Labour Party.

Overall you will not take much away from this quick read other than a glimpse of what life is really like inside the Blair "den", which alone is worth the admission fee.

disappointing
This book should/could have been a masterpiece. Mr Stothard is undoubtably a top class writer but one is left wondering exactly how much access he actually had to the inner workings of government. Too much time is spent on trivia and we are left with only snippets of conversation and a vague idea of whats going on. There are some interesting moments but overall the pace is slow and uneventfull

Excellent
This book is an excellent insight into the working of Number Ten Downing Street during the most testing and tense time of the Prime Minister's political career. The way that the book has been written as a daily account makes it an even better read, as opposed to a constant commentary. The images in the book are very good and reflect the amount of time the author spent with Tony Blair, and also show he had access to everywhere.