Politico's Bookshop Bulletin: Blair Unbound

1. New: Blair Unbound by Anthony Seldon
2 The Pick of Recent Paperbacks
3. New: 'An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots In Charge)'
4. Bargains and Special Offers
5. New: 'The Optimist's Handbook'

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Note from the Editor
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The Blair bibliography increases by the week. The Master of Wellington College, Dr Anthony Seldon, has been particularly busy. It was only a week ago that we announced 'Blair's Britain: 1997 - 2007' which Dr Seldon edited, and now comes Blair Unbound the follow up to his earlier political biography, Blair, which was published in 2005. Blair Unbound is already creating waves (Ed Balls on The World at One used the words "fictional", has "no foundation", is "rubbish" and full of "ridiculous" allegations - so it looks like a "must-read").

A rich selection of recently published paperbacks includes Geoff Mulgan's Good and Bad Power, Margaret MacMillan's Seize the Hour: When Nixon Met Mao, and A History of the English Speaking Peoples Since 1900 by Andrew Roberts.

Impartiality seems hardly likely in John O'Farrell's An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots In Charge) a book his publishers describe "as entertaining as a witch burning, and a lot more laughs".

Take advantage of this week's list of very special bargains while stocks last. Included are Alastair Cambell's The Blair Years and David Strahan's The Last Oil Shock both at 45% off, and three fascinating golden oldies (rediscovered at the back of a broom cupboard) at 75% discount.

Finally an antidote to miserable headlines, miserable health, miserable weather - Nick Inman's intelligent and thought-provoking The Optimist's Handbook: Facts, Figures and Arguments to Silence Cynics, Doom-mongers and Defeatists.

Best wishes,

editor@politicos.co.uk

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1. New: Blair Unbound by Anthony Seldon
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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 the idea of a 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 recaps very briefly Blair's trajectory to what may now be regarded as the high-point of his leadership, and 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 second volume of this masterclass in political biography and a highly revealing and compelling book in its own right.

Buy Blair Unbound here and save 25%

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2 The Pick of Recent Paperbacks
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Good and Bad Power: The Ideals and Betrayals of Government
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Geoff Mulgan's entertaining analysis of the moral imperatives that both drive and elude democracies.



A History of the English Speaking Peoples Since 1900 by Andrew Roberts
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"Magnificently provoking ... a worthy successor to Churchill's history of the same subject ... this is a work of astonishing range and depth, combining as it does a polemical flair with sure-footed scholarship" - Hywel Williams, New Statesman.



Seize the Hour: When Nixon Met Mao by Margaret MacMillan
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"She writes vividly and in detail ! This is diplomatic history at its most lively and accessible" - Sunday Telegraph.

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3. New: An Utterly Impartial History of Britain: (or 2000 Years of Upper Class Idiots In Charge)
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John O'Farrell's latest is a book about "then" that is also incisive and illuminating about "now" - a hilarious, informative and cantankerous journey through Britain's fascinating and bizarre history. Read how Anglo-Saxon liberals struggled to be positive about immigration; 'Look I think we have to try and respect the religious customs of our new Viking friends - oi, he's nicked my bloody ox!'. Discover how England's peculiar class system was established by some snobby French nobles whose posh descendants still have wine cellars and second homes in the Dordogne today. And explore the complex socio-economic reasons why Britain's kings were the first in Europe to be brought to heel; (because the Stuarts were such a useless bunch of untalented, incompetent, arrogant, upper-class thickoes that Parliament didn't have much choice).

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4. Bargains and Special Offers
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We have limited stocks of the following titles (some very recent, some rather old) available at special prices:


The Blair Years: Extracts from the Alastair Campbell's Diaries
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The most compelling and revealing account of contemporary politics you will ever read. A national bestseller. Limited stocks available at 45% discount.




The Last Oil Shock: A Survival Guide to the Imminent Extinction of Petroleum Man
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David Strahan's disturbing book predicts a crisis far more dangerous than international terrorism, and just as urgent as climate change. Buy here in paperback and save 45%.



Chairman Blair's Little Red Book by Steve Bell and Brian Homer
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A historical document now, the Little Red Book (which is blue) reads like a prophecy - most of which came true. Buy now in (very small) paperback and save 75%


Inspired and Outspoken: The Collected Speeches of Ann Widdecombe
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Another history book. Read her maiden speech, her opposition to the Channel Tunnel, and her stance regarding the ordination of women. Buy now in paperback and save 75%



Major, Major by Terry Major Ball
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These "Memories of an Older Brother" make for curious reading nowadays. Find out about the garden gnomes and more in this original hardback and save 75%

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5. New: The Optimist's Handbook
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Cheer up! Nick Inman has even included a section on political optimism in his compendious 'The Optimist's Handbook'.

This charming yet intelligent volume ranges (alphabetically) from 'Altruism' and 'Anaesthetics' to 'World Government' and' World (end of)'; via 'Economics', 'Nelson Mandela' and 'Robinson Crusoe'. It is not a slushy collection of inspiring thoughts, but a sure-fire, thinking person's antidote to the misery and general gloom of a world obsessed by economic woe and the price of petrol.

It also the perfect gift.

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Endquote
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"I'm an optimist, but an optimist who carries a raincoat."

- Harold Wilson

Taken from Nick Inman's 'The Optimist's Handbook' (see above)

The Road To Southend Pier

Due for publication October 22nd.
The Road To Southend Pier by Ross Clark.

A chance encounter with a talking lamp-post got Ross Clark thinking: is there any escape from Britain’s growing surveillance society? He set himself a challenge: could he get to Southend without Big Brother knowing where he had gone? In this entertaining and highly revealing account of his attempt to dodge Britain’s 4.2 million CCTV cameras and other forms of surveillance, Ross Clark lays bare the astonishing amount of data which is kept on us by the state and by commercial organisations, and asks whom should we fear most: the government agencies who are spying on us - or the criminals who seem to prosper in the swirling fog of excessive data-collection.

Blogs, Boris and Peter Oborne

1. New: Peter Oborne's 'The Triumph of the Political Class'
2. New: Iain Dale's 'Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2007-2008'
3. New: 'Peter Thorneycroft' by Stanley Crooks
4. New: Mark Oaten on 'Coalition'
5. New: 'The Little Book of Boris'

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Note from the Editor
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Dear Politico's Customer

With the party conference season in full swing there's a wealth of new books coming through. This week we lead with Peter Oborne's brilliantly argued The Triumph of the Ruling Class which shows the chilling reality of how things now work in the mother of all parliaments. It is described as "one of the most important works of political analysis since Anthony Sampson's Anatomy of Britain".

Iain Dale has listed 1,200 political blogs active in the UK at present. But his new guide provides much more than a directory - it includes a listing of the 500 top blogs by category, insightful articles by 30 leading bloggers and commentators, profiles of over 50 leading blogs and much more.

Stanley Crooks' excellent life of Peter Thorneycroft has an Introduction by Lord Carrington and includes colour illustrations throughout', and Mark Oaten's timely 'Coalition' recalls the politics and personalities of coalition government from 1850 and poses the question as to whether or not coalition governments ever work?

And we round off with 'The Little Book of Boris', a hugely entertaining compilation of witticisms and comment (aka 'Boris-isms') from the great man, accompanied by a fact-file, a bibliography and more

Best wishes,

editor@politicos.co.uk

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1. New: Peter Oborne's The Triumph of the Political Class
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Both an extension of and a companion to his acclaimed expose of political mendacity, 'The Rise of Political Lying', Peter Oborne's new book reveals in devastating fashion just how far we have left behind us the idea of people going into politics for that quaint reason, to serve the public. Notions of the greater good and putting something back now seem absurdly idealistic, such is the pervasiveness of cynicism in our politics and politicians. Of course, self-interest has always played a part, and Oborne will show how our current climate owes much to the venality of the eighteenth century. But in these allegedly enlightened times should we not know better? Do we not deserve better from those who seek our electoral approval? Full of revealing and insightful stories and anecdotes to support his case, and with a passionate call for reform, The Triumph of the Political Class is destined to be one of the defining political books of 2007.

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2. New: Iain Dale's Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2007-2008
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Political blogs used to be a sideline show. Now, in just a few years, they have developed into an essential part of political dialogue and reporting. In similar vein, Iain Dale's 'Guide to Political Blogging' started life as a small pamphlet and has now become a 268-page book which does much, much more than just provide the only comprehensive directory of its kind. There are more than 30 contributing articles from leading bloggers and commentators, there is a 'Who's Who' section. technical information, the top 500 blogs of course and classified lists of the top 100 Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Non-Aligned blogs, the top 30 MP blogs, 60 media blogs and 30 councillor blogs.

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3. New: Peter Thorneycroft by Stanley Crooks
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Handsomely produced, Stanley Crooks' new biography has received much praise from senior politicians:

"Peter Thorneycroft was consistently ahead of others in his thinking, and behind them in his search for personal recognition. Stanley Crooks' biography brings this remarkable man alive with lessons as pertinent for today, as they were for his own time." - John Major.

"A meticulous tribute to the Conservative Chancellor who was one of the first to blaze the trail towards economic sanity." - Geoffrey Howe

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4. New:Mark Oaten on Coalition
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As the prospect of a hung parliament looms large, our political protagonists can learn much from the politics and personalities of the past. Mark Oaten's story of coalition government begins in the 1850s, with Disraeli fighting for his political life and Queen Victoria's battle to find a Prime Minister from the Whigs and Peelites driving her to despair. At the start of the following century, the First World War threw Lloyd George into the limelight but nearly killed the Liberal Party; Ramsay MacDonald's coalition in the 1930s saw him become leader without his party, who many felt he had betrayed, and Churchill’s Great War coalition helped bring victory at war but not in peace.

Decades later, two generations and parties came together with David Steel and Jim Callaghan forming the Lib-Lab pact, something Blair and Ashdown's "project" never managed to emulate. North of the border, a deal did come off, resulting in Scotland being run by coalition government for 8 years. Throughout Europe, coalitions are the norm but recent political events in Italy and Germany have been far from normal. All these lessons from history are drawn together by Mark Oaten as he looks forward to the next election and reflects on whether hung parliaments and coalitions can ever work.

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5. New: The Little Book of Boris
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"Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh." - Canvassing in Henley, 2005.

"Their policy on cake is pro-having it and pro-eating it." - Discussing Liberal Democrat policies

There are few politicians who could genuinely be described as a phenomenon. Boris Johnson is one. Boris has star quality. He is loved by many, ridiculed by some, feared by others. This 'little' book contains a selection of the best Boris-isms, collected together by Iain Dale in a pocket-sized guide to all things Boris. Included are quotes by Boris and quotes about him, plus a handy reference to the history of Boris. An absolute must-have for all Boris fans.


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Endquote
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"Of all the vulgar acts of government, that of solving every difficulty that might arise by thrusting the hand into the public purse is the most illusory and contemptible."

- Sir Robert Peel

Taken from Iain Dale's selection of 500 of the Most Witty, Acerbic & Erudite Things Ever Said About Politics

The Big Red Book of New Labour Sleaze

The Big Red Book of New Labour Sleaze, written by Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes, it details more than 140 instances of New Labour sleaze since 1997 - cronyism, nepotism, sex, money, drugs. Examples of sleaze include:

- Peter Mandelson's Mortgages
- Ron Davies's 'Moment of Madness'
- David Blunkett and Nannygate
- Bernie Ecclestone's Donation
- Loans for Lordships
- John Prescott's Cocktail Sausage
- Lord Irvine's Wallpaper
- Margaret Beckett's Air Miles
- Cherie Blair's Freebie Holidays
- Tessa Jowell's Mortgages
- The Dodgy Dossier
- Stephen Byers
- Jo Moore Burying Bad News
- Derek Draper and Lobbygate
- Badger Watching with Ron Davies
- Cherie Blair Signing the Hutton Report
- Gordon Brown and the Smith Institute
- Cherie Blair's 'lecture' tours
- Gordon Brown’s Spinning Addiction

It's available for £7.99 from the Politicos bookshop.