Book Reviews
How Change Happens by Duncan Green.
In this engaging book Green stresses that activists for global development must study the history of the institutions they seek to change and to be more conscious of their own prejudices and power.
Promised You a Miracle: Why 1980-82 Made Modern Britain by Andy Beckett.
This book offers interesting reportage and interviews but fails to adequately assert its thesis. There is little analysis of what changed Britain in the two years in question beyond the lazy blanket of 'Thatcherism'.
Over to You Mr. Brown by Anthony Giddens.
Anthony Giddens was the preeminent intellectual of the new Labour era. He remains a true believer in Blair's policies and legacy yet oddly argues in this book for a radical break with the Blairite inheritance for Gordon Brown's premiership. Despite...
Prickly Pears of Palestine by Hilda Reilly.
This book presents the human face of the terrible suffering caused on both sides by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Ice Road by Gillian Slovo.
This moving novel offers a relatable portrait of life under Stalin's rule in the 1930s.
I’m a Teacher, Get Me Out of Here by Francis Gilbert.
This funny and moving book paints a picture of the teaching profession beset by disorder, low achievement and disillusionment despite the teachers' clear dedication and commitment to their students.
Hug them Close by Peter Riddell.
Riddell's insider's account provides a detailed analysis of the American and British path to war and offers a restrained criticism of Blair's misguided belief in the potency of media manipulation over political substance.
The Point of Departure by Robin Cook.
In this eloquent and thoughtful book Cook describes his time in government during Labour's second term up to his resignation in 2003. He makes many trenchant criticisms of new Labour but oddly insists that Blair must continue in office.
The Prudence of Mr. Gordon Brown by William Keegan.
In this invaluable and extremely interesting study, Keegan outlines how Gordon Brown can overcome the superficiality and shallowness of Blair's premiership and rescue the best of the Labour Party in order to create a government of which we could be...
Pretty Straight Guys by Nick Cohen.
Nick Cohen's analytical and well-researched book details the troubling changes Blair has brought to the executive. Blair is cast as the arch manipulator, making decisions based on perceptions and media presentation rather than reasoned argument or engagement with the broader...
Thirty Days at the Heart of Blair’s War by Peter Stothard.
Peter Stothard uncovers how badly our flawed constitutional system functions under Tony Blair and highlights the cynicism at the heart of No. 10.
The War We Could Not Stop by Randeep Ramesh.
This publication explores the run-up to the war in Iraq and uncovers the inescapable truth that the deception involved in the preparation for war led directly to the lack of planning for post-conflict Iraq. The War We Could Not Stop pulls...