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My Life, Our Times
- Narrated by: Gordon Kennedy
- Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins
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My Life, Our Times
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Summary
Random House presents the audiobook edition of My Life, Our Times by Gordon Brown, read by Gordon Kennedy.
As former Prime Minister and our longest-serving Chancellor, Gordon Brown has been a guiding force for Britain and the world over three decades. This is his candid, poignant and deeply relevant story.
In describing his upbringing in Scotland as the son of a minister, the near loss of his eyesight as a student and the death of his daughter within days of her birth, he shares the passionately held principles that have shaped and driven him, reminding us that politics can and should be a calling to serve. Reflecting on the personal and ideological tensions within Labour and its achievements - the minimum wage, tax credits, Bank of England independence and the refinancing of the National Health Service - he describes how to meet the challenge of pursuing a radical agenda within a credible party of government.
He explains how as Chancellor he equipped Britain for a globalised economy while swimming against the neoliberal tide and shows what more must be done to halt rising inequality. In his behind-the-scenes account of the financial crisis and his leading role in saving the world economy from collapse, he addresses the question of who was to blame for the crash and why its causes and consequences still beset us.
From the invasion of Iraq to the tragedy of Afghanistan, from the coalition negotiations of 2010 to the referendums on Scottish independence and Europe, Gordon Brown draws on his unique experiences to explain Britain’s current fractured condition. And by showing us what progressive politics has achieved in recent decades, he inspires us with a vision of what it might yet achieve today.
Riveting, expert and highly personal, this historic memoir is an invaluable insight into our times.
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What listeners say about My Life, Our Times
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- BookWorm
- 02-07-22
Fascinating
A fascinating account of a political career, full of insightful analysis of the challenges in faced by the UK and across the world. The writing can be dense, but only because it is so interesting and there is so much to learn. Highly recommend!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 27-03-22
deep dive into a thoughtful man
didn't know what to expect, but came away with a different view of Gordon Brown and his time in Downing Street. Heavy technical economics at times but this isn't sound bite politics. Definitely a must listen for anyone with an interest in Great Britain, and world economics ( so that's eveeyone).
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3 people found this helpful
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- Mike
- 16-10-18
Fabulous reflections
A strategist the likes of which is rarely seen. Gordon Brown worked hard, delivered well but was dealt multiple burdens all at the same time. A great man who will continue to be effective regardless of the status.
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5 people found this helpful
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- sally
- 26-01-18
Outstanding
This remarkable account serves as a useful reminder of what can be achieved by dedicated intelligent ethical public servants, and it should serve as a warning against the other kind of politicians. Incredible explanation of the avoidance of recession, and the challenge of war amongst many other strategic topics. A talented man.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- Alex
- 28-05-22
Just ok
This book was OK but I must admit I was glad I got to the end. I have a lot of respect for Gordon Brown but it sounded a bit like self praise by the end - a bit like a party political broadcast at times. Even still it was OK
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- A. M. Georgiou
- 11-11-22
A must read or listen
I've always liked Gordon Brown, but this biography by GB has really cemented that he is a genuine decent person that wanted a d still does want to make the world a better and fairer place to live.
It is a real eye opener to the major achievements of a Labour Government (especially when you take out the shadow of the Iraq war) and why the biggest mistake Britain made was voting a Conservative coalition and subsequent Conservative governments since.
An inspiring listen.
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2 people found this helpful
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- balzar
- 18-11-22
One of the Good Guys!
This is a great book! It clearly explains the rise of Gordon Brown, who seems to be an all-round Good Guy.
This book is highly recommended, although I did skip some of his earlier career in the Labour Party! His account of Iraq and Afghanistan is fascinating. Also of course, the bank crisis of 2008 is covered in great detail - too bad that in Ireland we had total incompetents in charge - totally out of their depth!
Gordon Brown actually makes economics quite interesting!
(I have occasionally wondered how he would have handled the death of Diana, if it had been he who was Prime Minister at the time - don't think we would have ended up with a People's Princess!)
I forgot to mention the excellent narrator - who has a Scottish accent (particularly like the way he pronounces the letter "u") but not an overwhelming one, as in the John Buchan novels,
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- John
- 06-12-22
Dour
Much like the man himself, this is a very serious book with little light. That’s partly understandable because of the seriousness of the issues with which he was dealing, but he prefers interminable detail to any sense of what it was like being in the room. There is no sense of the personality of those around him. And very little on the tensions between him and Blair that crippled their governments.
It is also a big miss that he did not narrate it himself. The actor is okay, but doesn’t capture Brown.
Worthy, but not memorable.
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- LL9565
- 03-04-18
Truly Inspiring Book
The best books I have listened to in a very long time and on the strength of doing so will purchase a hard back for reference. As expected a very detailed and straight to the point account of a very serious and committed former Politician. Excellent book which had me gripped from the start. In some ways I had a head start and did not doubt any of Dr Brown’s accounts as they virtually mirror with the things my late brother the MP for Middlesbrough South East Cleveland Dr Ashok Kumar used to tell us. This is not just the going’s on in the party and the front bench but also about characteristics of Gordon Brown as to how misunderstood he’s was and the media after his blood at every opportunity. Haven listened to the audio book it feels good that it’s confirmed lot of what I was told by the author himself. No doubt Dr Gordon Brown will continue to give his all to make the the world a better place. I have no doubt that history will be much kinder to him in years to come.
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9 people found this helpful
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- David James Steel
- 22-10-20
Gordon Brown was pretty clever. A great politician
It was a good story of his life. Well written and read. I think the book gives a good impression of the work and thinking of Gordon Brown.
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