Politics on the Edge cover art

Politics on the Edge

A Memoir from Within

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Politics on the Edge

By: Rory Stewart
Narrated by: Rory Stewart
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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

‘Rory Stewart’s Politics on the Edge digs deeper than most. As well as a fascinating insider account of the Cameron-May-Johnson premierships, it is a scathing portrait of our flawed political system and a “rebarbative profession” that, despite Stewart’s appetite for public service, chewed him up and spat him out’ GUARDIAN

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

‘Hugely entertaining’
EVENING STANDARD

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

‘An instant classic’
MARINA HYDE

‘At last a politician who can write’
SEBASTIAN FAULKS

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

©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Elections & Political Process Europe Great Britain Politicians Politics & Government Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

How They Broke Britain cover art
The Abuse of Power cover art
The Blair Years cover art
The Marches cover art
How Westminster Works...and Why It Doesn't cover art
Alan Partridge: Big Beacon cover art
Blue Murder cover art
Rambling Man cover art
The Plot cover art
Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors cover art
How to Be Right cover art
All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain's Political Class cover art
The Insider cover art
The Accidental Prime Minister cover art
Bob Hawke cover art
Moscow, December 25,1991 cover art

What listeners say about Politics on the Edge

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,783
  • 4 Stars
    343
  • 3 Stars
    43
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,617
  • 4 Stars
    298
  • 3 Stars
    43
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    11
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,547
  • 4 Stars
    339
  • 3 Stars
    60
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    14

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Insider Account of the Shallowness of UK Politics

A comprehensive take down of the disastrous last 13 years of government, politics & media in the UK. Full of shocking and occasionally hilarious anecdotes of duplicitous, venal, and idiotic government ministers & MPs. Rory Stewart comes across as serious, analytical, and honest, in a Conservative government that is the opposite. The PM we needed, but got Johnson & Truss instead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating Insights into the Political Process

I am one of those who believes that Rory Stewart is the best PM that we never had, however, this book did dent that opinion somewhat. He is clearly a gifted observer of human nature and his experiences in Afghanistan and elsewhere have given him a fantastic insight into other cultures, which the Conservative government were mad to ignore. However, and it pains me to say this, he does seem to lack a certain humility, and I suspect that his lack of success may be down to his poor interpersonal skills. It becomes tiresome to hear time and time again how he was right and everyone else was wrong. And, a minor criticism, his attempts at impersonation of various people and dialects gets very tiresome after a short while. Nevertheless, I found this a fascinating review of the declining years of the Conservative government.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Parliament no place for good people

Having read the first few glowing reviews of this inside personal Account I was sceptical.
I am now adding to the praise.
An unflattering account of failure of Govt. whatever your political opinion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Explains a great deal….

Very well written and delivered exposé on the outdated mechanics of power in the UK. Following the sequential governmental pile-ups of the recent past, Rory shines a light on the characters and root causes. Highly educational. Hopefully the basis for a more informed electorate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating account

Compelling listening, Stewart comes across as a decent guy in a sea of excrement. It’s a pity we elect such morons.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Curtain ripped back in a searingly honest description of our crumbling democracy

His sharp brain coupled with incredible application to the task are brought to light so vividly. Parliament is a far worse place in his absence.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent hugely insightful take on what’s gone wrong in the last 10 years

I devoured this audio book and found the insights into the way politics work absolutely fascinating. Rory reads the book himself - and is great at it. He is such an impressive person and our politics is poorer without him (and I say that as a Labour member). I would urge anyone horrified with the last ten years of Tory rule to listen to this! And congratulations to the author on an impressive achievement.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So resonates with me

Thank you for sharing your journey Rory - can’t help reflecting on what might have been!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

What an amazing man, how very sad that he didn’t become Britain’s PM. I found every moment fascinating and am deeply sad to learn about how government is so dis functional. A great listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great listen

interesting with great descriptions. well worth a reading if interested in politics or how it runs

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!