The Blair Years cover art

The Blair Years

Extracts from the Alastair Campbell Diaries

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The Blair Years

By: Alastair Campbell
Narrated by: Alastair Campbell
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards, Biography of the Year, 2008.
Shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book Award, 2007.
Longlisted for the Audiobook Download of the Year, 2007.

The Blair Years is the most compelling and revealing account of contemporary politics you will ever hear. Taken from Alastair Campbell's daily diaries, these audio extracts chart the rise of New Labour and the tumultuous years of Tony Blair's leadership, providing the first important record of a remarkable decade in our national life.

Here are the defining events of our time, from Labour's new dawn to the war on terror; from the death of Diana to negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland; from Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, through to the Hutton Inquiry of 2003. But above all, here is Tony Blair up close and personal, making the decisions that affected the lives of millions, under relentless and frequently hostile pressure.

Feared and admired in equal measure, hated by some, Alastair Campbell was pivotal to the founding of New Labour and the sensational election victory of 1997. As Blair's press secretary, strategist, and trusted confidant, Campbell spent more waking hours alongside the prime minister than anyone. His diaries take the listener right to the heart of government.

Unflinchingly told, The Blair Years covers the crises and scandals, the rows and resignations, the ups and downs of Britain's hothouse politics. There has never been so riveting a book about life at the very top, nor a more human book about politics, told by a man who saw it all.

©2007 Alastair Campbell (P)2007 Random House
Politicians Politics & Activism Inspiring Thought-Provoking Suspenseful Leadership Middle East

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Critic reviews

"Campbell has a draught Guiness voice with a husky edge to it; he could narrate Chandler thrilers to perfection." (Christina Hardyment, The Times)
"These diaries are His Master�s Voice. They will be gasped at, and relied upon, for decades to come. Buy them, they will suck you in." ( The Times)
"It is electric: a tale of sound and fury." (Book of the Week, The Mail on Sunday)
All stars
Most relevant
I normally prefer audiobooks, especially if read by the author, but would suggest you read the full diaries instead.

The overwhelming feeling from both is just how terrible our press is, I'll never trust them again. No one in government is perfect, but the disservice the press do to our politicians is totally unacceptable and brings does almost zero value to the British people.
A fascinating insight into British government at the time, and well worth a listen

Good, but read the books instead

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A very interesting insight into the inner workings of government and the corridors of power. Well narrated and always looked forward to getting back to it.

Interesting insight

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They called him cold, sinister and a humourless control freak. Maybe he was but this biography delivered in flat measured northern tones unmasks the volatile cocktail of personalities that drove the new labour legacy. Campbells short diary notes emphasise his continuous doubts about his own abilities to control the main actors, deliver a concise new labour message and control his own self depressive character. More than just a diary of events or a write and tell expose this is a frank exposure of the darker moments that drove new labour throughout the nineties. Campbell is always fiercely loyal to Blair (TB) often at the expense of his own health and well-being. There is nothing new here. The events described in this book have been the carrion of the political journalists for a decade and it feels like what it is 'old news'. What this book describes perfectly is the emotional turmoil that raged behind the ruthlessly choreographed labour machine through some of the most momentous events of the Blair years.

A compelling read and even better delivered by Campbell himself in this audio format. For any armchair politician this is a must

The master of control as a flawed genius

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Campbell writes openly and well, as well as narrating clearly which makes what might otherwise be quite a dry format engaging.

I forget the number of huge events which happened during his time with New Labour, and the book touches upon those in a way that shed new light for me upon them.

More Engaging Than Expected

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Fantastic and engaging story of Alistairs’ time with Tony Blair, and of his personal life. Gutted it isn’t the whole published book.

Great story; shame it isn’t the full book.

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