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Politics on the Edge
- A Memoir from Within
- Narrated by: Rory Stewart
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
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Politics on the Edge
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Summary
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 *
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Thalia
- 16-09-23
So good I immediately listened to it a second time!
I found this a fabulous book despite the fact I’m left of centre. If only our politicians who are still in politics could come across as people in their own right and talk to the general public as if they were individuals and having a conversation rather than delivering a message. So sad to see so many treating politics as being a career at the expense of their own constituents.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- L. Craven
- 08-10-23
Brilliant
Absolutely loved this. Really drives home the ridiculousness of our system- the way that a diligent and hardworking politician could be utterly thwarted by party politics and almost a wilful negligence of leaders in not allowing any areas of expertise to be utilised fully. Also love the various ‘voices’ Rory uses to really bring the conversations within to life. If more people like Rory were allowed to lead, we would not be in the mess we’re in right now.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Graham N
- 18-09-23
Unputdownable
Rarely am I so captivated by such a long piece of non-fiction. It feels like I’ve barely taken my headphones out in the last 48 hours.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- jackie
- 21-10-23
Very interesting and amusing
I really enjoyed this, Rory Stewart had me chuckling at his accents and impressions and some parts of the book made me laugh out loud. It’s an interesting insight into parliament, although in this day and age I think we all know our government stinks so it doesn’t shock or surprise. I came away thinking this was a normal person, naive to government, who really wanted to change things but unfortunately realised that he was surrounded by arrogant and incompetent people in a massive machine which just spat him out.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mike
- 17-10-23
Really excellent
An amazing insight into uk politics and someone who is duty before all else, well ready, even the dodgy accents were great as it gave a moment of humour. Well done!
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1 person found this helpful
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- David
- 19-09-23
Brilliant
Finding out parliament is not to dissimilar to a playground. It’s solidified the reasons our UK is no longer what it used to be. We’ll written and clear story telling.
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1 person found this helpful
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- YC
- 21-09-23
Compelling
A really great listen, well read by the author and a fascinating but disturbing insight into those momentous 9 years of Rory Stewart’s time in parliament. I felt sad that he was one of many victims of Boris Johnson’s vindictive and shameful behavior which resulted in the loss of so many committed and talented MPs. His telling of his “story” is well written with a abundance of intelligent and detailed observations during his time in Parliament and his life before. The way he combines his personal involvement with the political happenings of the time makes for addictive reading. It’s a long book, but both informative and enjoyable. I mourn his loss to the political landscape of Britain..
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- Anonymous User
- 01-10-23
Superb
Great to hear Rory Stewart share his experiences about his time as a politician. Engaging, honest and funny.
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- Simon McNally
- 05-10-23
Fascinating and informative
Rory's account of his time in politics is truly eye opening and a must listen for anyone who wishes to learn more about our political institutions.
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- Matthew Smith
- 22-10-23
An utterly captivating read
There are moments that will leave you frustrated, enraged and aghast at state of our political systems and the sometimes villainous individuals it rewards. But Rory demonstrates how an MP can be flawed, but decent. He doesn't claim to be a model politician, but the commitment and consideration he clearly demonstrated as a constituent MP and minister of state is obvious. I imagine many see Rory as a dangerously naïve disruptor. However, the irony is that this comes from being a honest and dedicated servant. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the answers. By Rory's own admission the influence of policy seems largely centralised to No.10. After reading this book, it's incredibly difficult not to imagine how better off our country would had Rory come through the conservative contest and won.
Also, Michael Gove is a deceitful weasel and should be nowhere near public office.
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