Description
Book Synopsis***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***
*A FINANCIAL TIMES, TELEGRAPH, NEW STATESMAN AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR*
'Excellent... first class... both fair and damning.' Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
'Authoritative, gripping and often jaw-dropping' Andrew Rawnsley, Observer
'Invaluable' New Statesman
'Explosive' Isabel Hardman, The i
After his dramatic rise to power in the summer of 2019 amid the Brexit deadlock, Boris Johnson presided over the most turbulent period of British history in living memory. Beginning with the controversial prorogation of Parliament in August and the historic landslide election victory later that year, Johnson was barely through the door of No. 10 when Britain was engulfed by a series of crises that will define its place in the world for decades to come. From the agonising upheaval of Brexit and the devastating Covid-19 pandemic to the nerve-shredding crisis in Afghanistan, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the Partygate scandal, Johnson's government ultimately unravelled after just three years.
This gripping behind-the-scenes work of contemporary history maps Johnson's time in power from start to finish and sheds new light on the most divisive Prime Minister to have led the United Kingdom since Thatcher. Based on more than 200 interviews with key aides, allies and insiders, Johnson at 10 gives the first full account of Johnson's premiership, the shockwaves of which are still felt today.
***A WATERSTONES BEST POLITICS BOOK OF 2023***
Trade ReviewExcellent.... Even those already pretty sceptical about Johnson will find this book
eye opening. For their
first-
class account, Seldon and Newell have interviewed advisers and officials and gained a
very good insight into what was going on behind the door of No 10 * Daniel Finkelstein, The Times *
An
authoritative,
gripping and often
jaw-
dropping account of the bedlam behind the black door of Number 10 * Andrew Rawnsley, Observer *
The
authoritative account of what [Johnson] did with his time in power...
explosive * Isabel Hardman, the i *
Excellent * Andrew Sparrow, Guardian *
Compulsively readable and
well-
sourced... Seldon and Newell are the first to expose in detail how Johnson's No. 10 worked -- or, rather, how it didn't...
A ripping yarn * Patrick Maguire, The Times *
Seldon and Newell have done a service to us all... If seeking instruction on how not to be a prime minister or, indeed, any kind of minister, this account should prove
invaluable. * New Statesman *
A
detailed and
damning account of Boris Johnson's rise to power and period as prime minister. * Financial Times, Best summer books of 2023 *
Every bit the
damning indictment you would expect...
Compelling * John Crace, Guardian *
Johnson at 10 is
rich with first-hand accounts of those who saw him at work - and are still trying to process what happened * Financial Times *
This is a
terrific book: a
page-
turning humdinger, a switchback ride through recent contemporary history unlike anything you have ever read. * The Tablet *
Jaw-dropping... shows us what goes wrong in practical terms when someone unwilling even to learn how to govern, to apply himself properly to serious work and self-improvement, becomes prime minister. * Iain Martin, The Times *
Utterly scathing... a
timely reminder of how good government should work * Guardian *
The scale of disfunction is laid bare in
Johnson at 10, a history which might alternatively be titled "How not to be Prime Minister" * Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times *
Johnson's flaws are
brutally highlighted... Seldon and his co-writer Raymond Newell give the
most comprehensive - and
enjoyable - account yet of what exactly happened during Johnson's three years at No 10. -- George Parker * Politics Home *
[T]he authoritative account of what he [Johnson] did with his time in power * The Scotsman *
This is a
terrific book, a
real page-turner, and a
fascinating account of an administration that was both very significant and hugely disappointing. * Morning Star *
Replete with stories of
bombast, ego and foolishness. * Daily Express *
[T]his
compelling book will be the first one that future biographers go to. And they'll
enjoy it * Sunday Independent *
The
great value of [this] book... is that it provides the layman and the historian with
a treasure trove of interviews, and of
insights from the heart of government * The Times on May at 10 *
Extraordinarily detailed... fair yet devastating * Sunday Times on May at 10 *
Table of Contents1: The Making of a Prime Minister 2: Brexit 3: Election 4: Dreams 5: Covid 6: Cummings 7: Domestic 8: Global 9: Grown-ups 10: Downfall 11: Reckoning
