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Free Radical: A Memoir

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About this listen

Vince Cable is best known as ‘the undisputed heavyweight champion of the credit crunch in Parliament’ (Robert Peston), revered for his prescience and authority on the world economic crisis. But his journey to become Britain’s most respected politician has been long, circuitous and sometimes very painful. In this memoir he tells that story for the first time.

'Free Radical' is a candid book, written with wit and great insight. Vince Cable’s life story has not been that of a conventional career politician and his book is as compelling as it is timely.

©2010 Vince Cable (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Europe Great Britain Politicians Politics & Activism Memoir England Socialism Africa Capitalism
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a really enjoyable book that points the direction forlkke minded Free Radicals. an inspiration book

outstanding and hugely informative

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A most interesting autobiography that reveals what a range of experience, in many different spheres of work, he has brought to his work as an MP and now to his current position as leader of the Liberal Democrats in the UK Parliament. Such a wealth of experience outside of politics marks him out from many of today's politicians who have limited their work to political appointments. I think he is underrated in the modern political scene where self-serving publicity-seeking loud-mouths get more attention than the seemingly less colourful but actually more impressive MPs such as Vince Cable. Though inevitably dominated by his work we learn of his humble background, strained relations with his father and painful experience of the death of his first wife, but also of happier times and pride in his children's achievements.

The last few chapters of the book, that ends before 2010, are full of optimism that his party would be a strong and influential force in British politics. Sadly since the coalition and then the polarization of the two main parties since the 2012 election have squeezed out of the LIberal Democrats and his hopes have been dashed.

The narrator is excellent and made me feel that Vince was telling me the story of his life.

An underestimated politician

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The narrator sounds more Yorkshire than he does in reality, but other than that it is an excellent book. Especially and insight into Vince's early life. The very moving story about his first wife Olympia would make an interesting story in her own right.

Highly recommended as a political biography.

Vince Cable

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