Magnificent blow by blow account

This remarkable - and very long - book reads like distant history, It is hard to believe that (at time of writing) the referendum was only 8 months ago, but this superb account manages to humanize most of the key participants - particularly Cameron, Osborne, Gove and Johnson, while bringing to the fore many of the support players, particularly Dominic Cummings. Johnson comes across as a pretty sympathetic figure, Nigel Farage, on the other hand, doesn't.

Tim Shipman's book manages impartiality by only expressing opinions through the mouths of the participants he interviews. Sometimes these are named - like Farage or Arron Banks - more often they are " a source close to Gove" (for example). He only expresses opinions himself to drill down into situations where accounts differ - amazing considering he was writing just weeks after these events took place.

There does seem to be a little bias - though it is buried deep, and may simply be down to contrasting natures of the two campaigns. The characters in both main Leave campaigns, for instance, come across as much more colourful than those in the worthy but duller Remain camp, but that may just be because they probably were. The otherwise-admirable multitude of options that pervade the book seem to go missing when considering the somewhat lackluster Labour Campaign and Corbyn's remarkable effect at galvanizing new party members is dismissed, suggesting (without comment) that they are mainly leftist nutters.

So, if you want a quick and/or biased (one way or the other) account, then look elsewhere. If you want a riveting, beautifully written (and read) day by day historical account of what happened to who and when, then you will enjoy this. Shipman does examine the reasons that Leave won - and offers plenty of often contradictory opinions from his sources - but never reaches a definitive conclusion. After all, he'd have to interview tens of millions of people to do that, and that's probably a bit much, even for him!

9 people found this helpful

Fabulous and frightening insight.

The people have spoken, the bastards - but politicians seem even bigger bastards. This was a great but frightening tale of stupidity, naivety, deceit, indecision, opportunism, condescension, cowardice and incompetence shown to a staggering degree by the political elite of all shades. The same people who lecture us about governing for all, understanding the concerns of us ordinary citizens, who ask us to tighten our belts and pull together, who tell us they genuinely care about preserving and improving the NHS, about supporting effective mental health for all, funding our schools and libraries and looking after and actually caring for our old people - but year after year fail to deliver because in their narrow line of vision, self interest is a much higher priority than the national interest. However you voted, there are no heroes here. We are certainly governed by "Here today, gone tomorrow" politicians but it seems that most want to extract as much as they can for themselves today so they can enjoy a very comfortable tomorrow. My Dad, like thousands of other men and women spent years of hardship and being shot at during WW2 to defend the concept of democracy. The suffragettes suffered abuse and prison to get the vote for women but despite this I increasingly feel disenfranchised. I no longer feel that voting for any party makes the slightest difference to the self serving political classes we now endure. Tim Shipman's book was excellent but it leaves you feeling even more despondent and impotent than before. I remember seeing the slogan " Dont vote, it only encourages them" as a joke but I now feel even more strongly that the joke is on me. We still have a parliamentary democracy in this country but the connection between the people and the government appears to be hanging by a thread and even that is being stretched by the self seeking career politicians, special advisers and assorted hangers on that this book exposes.

6 people found this helpful

Great political inside information. Well done

really enjoyed this. I will definitely listen to it a second time. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a detailed inside analysis of all the political campaigns leading up to the referendum. And the backstabbing after!

4 people found this helpful

Blow by Blow account

I didn't realise until I had downloaded it that this book is 32 hours long. I was actually looking for a rollicking journalist's inside summary of the to's and fro's, but this really was more detail than a normal person needs to know about the Brexit campaign. It is interesting to review the arguments now, with the benefit of hindsight, and Tim Shipman does a pretty good job of staying objective (he doesn't seems to take sides much). It is interesting (maybe depressing) to see how much marketing and comms have taken over from actual political debate.

8 people found this helpful

Absolutely riveting!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book (which I listened to as an audiobook) to anyone interested in how the referendum came to be won and lost. Rupert Farley's narration adds to the sense of atmosphere and he does a good job of getting the 'tone' of the key players.

It is a fascinating 'fly-on-the-wall' account of the mixture of focused ruthlessness and sheer ineptitude that ran through both sides' campaigns and all the political parties.

8 people found this helpful

All the Tories are so nice !!!

I really enjoyed the book; for politics nerds it's like crack cocaine.... But the author leans severely towards the Conservative party and portrays the Tory politicians as people of integrity and compassion. Not even a hint of the characteristics that gave them the nickname The Nasty Party. Once you price in the author's obvious bias, then drive on and enjoy! My only complaint is the narrator, who does a fine job, reads way too slowly. I had to listen at 115%. BTW I now understand why a second referendum is extremely unlikely. The vote was called to end a 30 year civil war in the Conservative Party. If a second referendum votes Remain, that civil war will become permanent and could only end with a full split.

2 people found this helpful

Gripping, very well researched and brilliantly wri

Would you listen to All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain's Political Class again? Why?

Most definitely, I found it to be a riveting insight into the complexities of a national campaign

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dominic Cummings, he has the Bull Dog intensity for the fight and the never say never attitude that probably tipped the balance, I just wish he was on the other side

Which character – as performed by Rupert Farley – was your favourite?

To be honest, I actually found the whole thing of trying to be a character and attempting accents and impressions to be quite annoying and unnecessary and the main reason I decided to write this review

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I effectively did, apart from 8 hours sleep half way through, I listened to it in one sitting, even taking it to the kitchen, toilet and pub with me

Any additional comments?

For anyone interested in UK National politics, this book is an essential listen/read and I am looking forward to starting the next book, Fall Out, as soon as possible

2 people found this helpful

a must read covers the lot

great book makes Craig Oliver a lightweight. extremely well narrated. My best book for a long time.

4 people found this helpful

Beyond parody

Great book, gives the context behind the headlines and hugely partisan debates. Depicts the human side of the players well, while not shying away from the hubris and regicidal impulses. I’ve only given it 4 stars, and the end of the party is better. Do listen to that one, it’s a gripping car crash from start to finish!

1 person found this helpful

Fascinating account of the Referendum and its party political consequences.

Amazingly, this book manages to be utterly fascinating and a compelling read. It is well structured, with a huge amount of detail but without ever getting mired down in all the nitty gritty; and it is written in a style that is easy to read. Farley pitches the narration perfectly. As well as the policy questions and choices of the politicians, the story of the campaigns and their managers and strategists are tremendously interesting. For example, the somewhat enigmatic character, Dom Cummings, and his response to the Leave campaign being called out over the £350 million figure is something to make one think hard about what this sort of tactic means for debate in a democratic country. The chapter on the Labour Party's role in the campaign was another highlight. The characters leap off the page, and the account is more revealing than that in Craig Oliver's book. Shipman has spoken to so many of the insiders, and serves up their views and insights as just that ..... views not facts. He has taken a very emotive topic, and tried hard to be balanced and fair. I think he has achieved this overall. Finally, though not a fan of David Cameron, I was impressed with the text of the speech he never got to give; the one he would have delivered had the result of the referendum been for remaining in the EU. If you want a warts and all account of this historic referendum, I would highly recommend this book. If you want to understand why the result was what it was, then this is not a bad starting point. It will certainly get you thinking for yourself. And, if you are interested in an analysis of why one campaign won over the other, this will also fascinate you. And, you might also want to look at Craig Oliver's book for how it felt for the Tory Remain campaigners when they didn't have the expected backing in the press. Oh, and for his comments on the BBC... Five stars! Terrific!

1 person found this helpful