Description
Book SynopsisWinner of the Parliamentary Book Award, best memoir by a Parliamentarian, 2016
From the condemned slums of Southam Street in West London to the corridors of power in Westminster, Alan Johnson's multi-award-winning autobiography charts an extraordinary journey, almost unimaginable in today's Britain. This third volume tells of Alan's early political skirmishes as a trades union leader, where his negotiating skills and charismatic style soon came to the notice of Tony Blair and other senior members of the Labour Party.
As a result, Alan was chosen to stand in the constituency of Hull West and Hessle, and entered Parliament as an MP after the landslide election victory for Labour in May 1997. But this is no self-aggrandizing memoir of Westminster politicking and skulduggery. Supporting the struggle of his constituents, the Hull trawlermen and their families, for justice comes more naturally to Alan than do the byzantine complexities of Parliamentary procedure. But of c
Trade Review
Johnson writes with his usual warmth, wit and modesty. * The Sunday Times *
Immensely engaging. * The Times *
Searingly honest... moving. * Mail on Sunday *
Remarkable. * The Observer *
It's not often that one must reach for the phrase 'heart-warming' about the life of a politician, but Johnson is exceptional. It's rare to find such decency and likeability in public life. * Mail on Sunday *
Very nicely told... Johnson is sharp on period detail. -- William Leith * Evening Standard *
