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Politics on the Edge

A Memoir from Within

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Politics on the Edge

Written by: Rory Stewart
Narrated by: Rory Stewart
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

*A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE FT, GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, TELEGRAPH, TIMES, OBSERVER, i NEWSPAPER, NEW STATESMAN, PROSPECT, CHURCH TIMES AND SCOTSMAN*

The searing inside story of our broken politics from the former Cabinet minister and co-host of The Rest Is Politics.

Over the course of a decade, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.

Uncompromising, honest and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life. Instantly praised as a new classic, it is an astonishing portrait of our turbulent times.

BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’ ALAN JOHNSON

‘At last a politician who can write’ SEBASTIAN FAULKS

‘Genuinely eye-opening…always riveting, often horrifying’ iNEWS

©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Conservatism & Liberalism Elections & Political Process Europe Great Britain Ideologies & Doctrines Political Parties Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government

Critic Reviews

There’s no denying that Rory Stewart stands almost alone among British politicians: he’s one of a handful who can actually turn a phrase. That talent is put to good use here — no other account of how Cameron Toryism curdled into May and Johnson is likely to be as evocative or amusing as this one
If you want to better understand the catastrophe that has been our government since 2010, or you just want to bask in Stewart’s beautifully formulated prose, read this book
A brilliant insider’s account of the Cameron-May-Johnson years
It is the sheer sharpness, originality and truth-telling grace of Stewart’s prose, along with the vital importance of his subject, that makes his new book a truly exceptional political autobiography, both a pleasure to read, and a vital wake-up call
Full of sharp observations and often funny… a portrait of a country where power is wielded by empty careerists, working in a broken system
Beautifully written... You glimpse how transformative government could be (Gaby Hinsliff)
A fascinating account of power, corruption and lies
Stewart writes beautifully and is brilliant at describing both the theatre and insanity of life in politics
[Stewart’s] memoir of his time in politics is valuable as a slice of entertainment, as an enjoyably catty takedown of his former colleagues, and as perhaps the most helpful recent account of the failings of the British state… a valuable contribution to the historical record
The moral and technical seriousness of this book should not be ignored: in his time in parliamentary politics, Stewart discovered a lot that needs mending—and he has plenty of ideas for doing so
All stars
Most relevant
Rory Stewart seems to have quite the actor's chops. His reading of his own book (and story) leaves you quite entertained for not only does he tell a compelling tale he does so he with much enthusiasm.. his knack for voices, mimicry and intonation comes in very handy in enlivening a rather banal (often a bit sordid) political drama.

I'm only a distant observer of British politics and while this was quite an insider's view of the goings-on, it did leave me a little dissatisfied as to how he failed not from a lack of trying but otherwise. He hardly touched upon it in his drive to prove that he was right about this and right about that! It seemed, at times - not always thankfully, more an account aimed at self glorification than anything else. This said, it was indeed interesting to hear and is worth a read/listen.

Intriguing political discourse

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