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  • The Blair Years

  • Extracts from the Alastair Campbell Diaries
  • By: Alastair Campbell
  • Narrated by: Alastair Campbell
  • Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (841 ratings)
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The Blair Years cover art

The Blair Years

By: Alastair Campbell
Narrated by: Alastair Campbell
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Summary

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

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)

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What listeners say about The Blair Years

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Rivetting

I guess that the audiobook only contains a small fraction of the published book's 800 pages. That means it doesn't take that long to listen all the way through. There are quite a few large jumps in dates. Names of people aren't always explained - you need some background knowledge to realise who they all are. (Eg 'PM' = Peter Mandleson, 'CDS' = Chief of Defence Staff, 'Jonathan' = Jonathan Powell...). So you have to keep your wits about you.

But none of this detracts from the fascination of the many issues covered. I ended up with a feeling of a much better appreciation of many of the stories that have been in the press during the years Alastair Campbell worked alongside Tony Blair.

The narration is clear. In summary, it was a real pleasure to listen to it. I often had a wide smile on my face (eg listening to the encounters with Princess Diana) and sometimes a lump in my throat.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Engrossing

I was never much of a fan of Blair and Spin, but the diaries of the man behind a lot of the image are fascinating. Narrated by the downbeat and laconic Campell himself, all the best anecdotes are here, plus many that you might not have heard about. As an insight into how the country is run, this paints a human and surprising picture, exposing politics as how you might have feared it is as well as how you might have hoped it can be too. Very enjoyable, espescially Mandy's hissy fits, egotistical and thoroughly entertaining, I just wish it had been the unabridged version.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good, but read the books instead

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

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

A real monotone disappointment

What a disappointment - rather than an interesting delve into the early days of Spin and the Blair government we're treated to a monotone moaning of a self centred man. Even the history making and emotional movements such as the death of Diana are turned into a glib egocentric bullet points.

Save your money/credit.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Intriguing.

A nice and what seemed an honest opinion of the happenings in the labour government. Nicely delivered, informative and enjoyable. Sad to get through it so quickly.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wish it had been the full account.

I love listening to someone with such a rich experience, so flawed and on occasion vulnerable. Wish it had been the full account not just extracts.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting insight

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.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

I just could not stop listening to this Audiobook. Alastair Campbell's narration really added something else to this book which I feel I would not have got if I had read the book myself. I recommend this book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

very interesting

very reveling about tony and his goverment u need to read this or hear it

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good, but not great.

A wise man once said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this book proves this. It tries to explain why each decision, good or bad, was the lesser of two evils, but of course it would, wouldn't it.
My main criticism however, is not a political one, but that the author reads the whole book in a bored monotone, and by the sound of it, in desperate need of a glass of water.

The book itself however, gave a fascinating, if naturally one sided insight into how the British government was run for a decade.

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1 person found this helpful