Product Description

The first two volumes of Alan Clark's were irresistible, irreverent, infamous, outrageous. This last volume is a fitting finale to the work of a man who has been described as 'the best diarist of his century'. The third volume begins in 1991 with Alan Clark contemplating quitting as an MP. Life at Saltwood Castle, his home, hangs heavy; then comes the Scott inquiry and the Matrix Churchill affair. Publication of the first volume of the Diaries leads 'the coven', a family of former girlfriends, to sell their story to the NEWS OF THE WORLD. This volume follows his attempts to return to Westminster, an affair that threatens his marriage, and closes with the tragedy of his final months when he is diagnosed with a brain tumour, but keeps his diary until he can no longer focus on the page.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90703 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 420 pages

Synopsis
The first two volumes of Alan Clark's were irresistible, irreverent, infamous, outrageous. This last volume is a fitting finale to the work of a man who has been described as 'the best diarist of his century'. The third volume begins in 1991 with Alan Clark contemplating quitting as an MP. Life at Saltwood Castle, his home, hangs heavy; then comes the Scott inquiry and the Matrix Churchill affair. Publication of the first volume of the Diaries leads 'the coven', a family of former girlfriends, to sell their story to the NEWS OF THE WORLD. This volume follows his attempts to return to Westminster, an affair that threatens his marriage, and closes with the tragedy of his final months when he is diagnosed with a brain tumour, but keeps his diary until he can no longer focus on the page.

About the Author
Alan Clark, educated at Eton and Oxford, read for the Bar but did not practise. Tory MP for Plymouth Sutton 1972-1992; Kensington and Chelsea, 1997-99. Various junior ministerial appointments in the Margaret Thatcher and John Major governments of the 1980s. Best-known for his Diaries (three vols) which The Times placed in the Samuel Pepys class. They were filmed by teh BBC with John Hurt as Clark and Jenny Agutter as Jane Clark. Alan Clark died in 1999. Ion Trewin is a London publisher. Originally a journalist, he was Literary Editor of The Times 1972-79. He was Alan Clark's editor and publisher for the original 'Diaries' and following his death edited two further volumes of the celebrated diaries. Married with a son and daughter, he has since 2006 been literary director of the Man Booker prizes. He was chairman of the Cheltenham Literature Festival 1996-2007.

Customer Reviews

Clark reveals his own weaknesses
Like many diaries, especially those written with complete openness and honesty, this book is of interest not so much for the events it describes but as an insight into human weakness, vanity and lack of insight. At this stage in his career, Clark is a political dinosaur, completely out of touch, and an embarrassment to the mainstream of his party with his extreme right-wing views (there are several alarming references to Hitler). Yet he remains unaware of this, and talks repeatedly of being 'lionised' at meetings, and of grasping 'the sword', as if he thinks that at any moment the Conservative party is going to adopt him as its new heroic leader. Unlike the earlier diaries, we learn very little of the politics of the time from this volume.
In places the book is hard to follow, because Clark often uses his own words for people and things.
Despite owning a castle and several houses, many classic cars and having a devoted wife and family, Clark is in general thoroughly miserable, and a tedious hypochondriac. He is repeatedly and selfishly unfaithful to his long-suffering wife who sticks by him to the undignified end (described by her in unnecessary graphic detail).

The End of the Alan Clark Story.
"I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS" 14th December 1992.

The Last Diaries of Alan Clark are just as memorable, painful and touching as the first two volumes. He writes with such honesty, style and richness of intellect that they are compulsive and addictive even though we know the end result. Clark's place in history is assured, these diaries are a must for all fans of politics or just great diaries.

Brilliant and moving
The majority of The Last Diaries is Clark's typical brand of frank political observation and insight, focusing on the years from the fall of Thatcher, through his retirement, to his reselection as MP for Kensington and Chelsea in 1997. This part covers some of the most interesting recent history of British politics with the fall of the Conservative party and the rise of New Labour.

The end of the book is the terribly harrowing portrayal of Clark's illness, as his hypocrondria, a feature of the previous two diaries, is suddenly vindicated. The portion his wife, Jane Clark, writes when Alan becomes too ill to write is one of the most poignant pieces non-fiction I've ever read.

A superb complement to the previous two diaries, with the three in total comprising the most thouroughly readable, enjoyable and insightful political diary of the last 30 years. An absolute must.