Customer Rating: 

For anyone with any interest in the history of New Labour between 2001 and 2010, be they friend or foe, Andrew Rawnsley's magisterial tome is a feast. Easily worth six stars if such ratings could be given, this work is a masterclass both in its chosen subject and in the proper writing of contemporary history. The glory of the book is two-fold. The first is the depth and range of the sources. Rawnsley has clearly talked to just about everyone that mattered. The result is a narrative that is rich in anecdote, overwhelmingly credible, and puts the reader right at the centre of the action. While undoubtedly this makes for a long read, it also makes for a great read. The text is fast-paced, immediate, and gripping throughout. The second is the writer eschews simple polemic and simplistic judgments, presenting a rounded portrait of the key actors and episodes. At once sympathetic and critical, considered and immediate, it will resonate both for both supporters and opponents of "the Project". This is a work that will not date but will be read and re-read by students of the era for years to come. The only criticism is that naturally the book tails off somewhat from the summer of 2009 as publishing deadlines loomed. One can only hope subsequent editions will add further chapters to cover the final denouement in the period up to and including the 2010 election and the formation of the current Coalition.

Customer Rating: 

A 'can't put it down' book, very well written. With a political background, and knowing some of the characters, it was even more enlightening. I believe every word!

Customer Rating: 

I started reading this book at the same time as the election was taking place. I am an ex-pat and have been for 12 years but try to keep in touch with the UK and with the political scene. I absolutely loved this book and found it very interesting to hear about all the behind the scenes shenanigans! It is not a book to read fast, I read a bit and then put it down and carry on after a while but I really enjoyed it. So much so that I bought a copy for my best friend. Well written, fascinating and worth every penny.

Customer Rating: 

The End Of The Party comes in three sections: the Blair premiership, the tussle for the top job and then Brown's shaky grip on the levers of power. The author does an excellent job of demonstrating how Tony Blair went from being the saviour of Kosovo to the West's roving ambassador to Bush's lapdog. The reader sees how a mixture of realpolitik, the flow of events and vanity led Blair and a tiny number within his circle (so small that they could be counted on the fingers of one hand) to commit the UK to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The middle section covering the wranglings between Blairites and Brownites is probably of interest mainly to those within the Westminster village. There are lots of examples of how Brown held back Blair in his middle years but to the interested general reader the bigger questions go largely unanswered. Why was Brown so petulant? Why was Blair so coy about handing over, if that was the arrangement? These questions are certainly touched on but not wholly answered. Perhaps now that Labour are in opposition the sources will be more forthcoming.
The final third of the book deals in a fair way with Brown's rollercoaster ride in the polls as PM and delineates his obvious character flaws. If anything, the author is too kind to this man Brown who has none of the qualities of a leader in any field, particularly strategic vision, communication skills, the ability to inspire a team and a willingness to delegate. This book is a gripping read; I really enjoyed it, but it is very long(and heavy). I think the middle section could have been compacted without any loss of depth and the final chapters were a bit too drawn out as well.
Nevertheless as a history of the slow death of the New Labour project it is first rate and worth the price tag.

Customer Rating: 

Shocking truth about the foul-mouthed incompetence of the late unlamented Labour government. But they still stacked up a huge vote: truly frightening.