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Behind the Black Door
'Today, Gordon's words are simple and heartfelt. He promises, as his own school motto said, "to do his utmost". I know that the same will go for me, too. We turn to the door, greeting the policeman on duty. It is time to play our part in contributing to what happens next in government and a new life behind the black door.'
In this personal memoir about life at 10 Downing Street, Sarah Brown shares the secrets of living behind the most famous front door in the world. Sarah gave up a successful career in business to serve the country and champion countless charities at home and abroad. A passionate campaigner for women and children, she mobilised hundreds of thousands of people through her early adoption of Twitter where her legion of followers engaged with her on everything from repression in Burma to diversity in British fashion.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to travel with special branch, pack for a photo call with supermodels or pause a speech in front of hundreds when the autocue fails, it's all here - from what to do when the school play clashes with a visit to the White House to what it feels like to support the man you love as he takes tough decisions to stave off global financial meltdown...
Intimate, reflective, surprising and funny, Behind the Black Door takes us backstage to reveal what it's like to be an ordinary woman, wife and mother in extraordinary circumstances.
In this personal memoir about life at 10 Downing Street, Sarah Brown shares the secrets of living behind the most famous front door in the world. Sarah gave up a successful career in business to serve the country and champion countless charities at home and abroad. A passionate campaigner for women and children, she mobilised hundreds of thousands of people through her early adoption of Twitter where her legion of followers engaged with her on everything from repression in Burma to diversity in British fashion.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to travel with special branch, pack for a photo call with supermodels or pause a speech in front of hundreds when the autocue fails, it's all here - from what to do when the school play clashes with a visit to the White House to what it feels like to support the man you love as he takes tough decisions to stave off global financial meltdown...
Intimate, reflective, surprising and funny, Behind the Black Door takes us backstage to reveal what it's like to be an ordinary woman, wife and mother in extraordinary circumstances.
452 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2011
41 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Brown
2 books1 followerSarah Jane Brown is an advocate for global health and education, founder and president of the children's charity Theirworld, the executive chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education, and the co-founder of A World at School.
Before her husband, Gordon brown, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Brown was a founding partner of Hobsbawm Macaulay Communications, a public relations company.
Before her husband, Gordon brown, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Brown was a founding partner of Hobsbawm Macaulay Communications, a public relations company.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 17, 2012
I't took me about 4 months to finish this book. It's kind of like a magazine. If I have a few minutes, I'll read a few pages, but not compelling enough to devote precious minutes to during tax season.
January 26, 2016
Interesting to find out what priministerial spouses get up to! A good description of life behind the scenes in Downing Street and especially at all the international conferences and state visits where they have their own program and promote their pet causes. It got a little bit samey after a while.
November 26, 2017
A fascinating insight
I so enjoyed this book. It is well written and obviously comes from the heart of a woman who is passionate about the causes she believes in as well as her family. I remember well the tragedy of the death of Jennifer and how sad we all were as always for a parent who loses their child. The book pulls no punches about life at No 10 - a life which must, whatever your political alliances, be a difficult time in the life of a family. I always admired Gordon Brown for his moral compass and that comes through very clearly. There are not many politicians who you feel do what they believe is right but he did and he believed it was right for all of us. Read this book without a political bias and you will see what a unenviable job the Prime Minister has. I think I would like Sarah Brown very much.
I so enjoyed this book. It is well written and obviously comes from the heart of a woman who is passionate about the causes she believes in as well as her family. I remember well the tragedy of the death of Jennifer and how sad we all were as always for a parent who loses their child. The book pulls no punches about life at No 10 - a life which must, whatever your political alliances, be a difficult time in the life of a family. I always admired Gordon Brown for his moral compass and that comes through very clearly. There are not many politicians who you feel do what they believe is right but he did and he believed it was right for all of us. Read this book without a political bias and you will see what a unenviable job the Prime Minister has. I think I would like Sarah Brown very much.
December 17, 2024
A quintessential Christmas book, I think. Diary is always a problem, it is linear and episodic and can't avoid being a list of what happened, so can be rather boring. She clearly loves the man very deeply and tries very hard as a Mum. Having read "Becoming" the funding for the PM's wife seems derisory and the press's expectations ridiculous. Hanging about waiting for your man can't be that much fun but she puts a brave face on it. I'm trying to work to if the result is simply human or rather gushing but in the end, it felt like a chore to finish it.
August 15, 2019
The school girl that used to hate every living being for taking an average grade in a subject she does not get wrote a book about the knight in shinny armor : the one that takes from the poor to give her designer dresses and professional makeup.
August 6, 2016
Sarah Brown, wife of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, writes her tale of what it was like "behind the black door" of No. 10. It's a fascinating read to see what the spouse or partner of the head of state and/or government must put up with. As the wife of the Prime Minister (WPM for short as Brown occasionally writes), she has no official title, office or actual real guidance as to what her role was to be (like most of her predecessors before her) so she had to figure it out as she went along.
The book pretty much covers the time G. Brown enters 10 Downing St. and ends when Labour loses the 2010 election and becomes the Opposition. S. Brown discusses her mostly day to day activities, from getting settled to meeting people to what she does as the spouse of the PM as well as raising two young sons while being at No. 10. I found it really fascinating to read how she transitioned into from being the wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the wife of the Prime Minister (the experience was helpful).
We see glimpses of famous people and well-known politicians. Brown seems to like the Obamas a lot, with mentions quite often (with an amusing picture of her holding hands with President Obama standing next to their spouses). But we see Nicholas Sarkozy, David Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Piers Morgan, JK Rowling, etc. along with mentions of other politicians. But because Brown is not involved in the political, we see more mentions of people like the Obamas at big events (charity events, the G20, etc.) than say David Cameron, or Nick Clegg, except when relevant. Interestingly enough Tony Blair doesn't get much of a mention either--and neither does Cherie Blair, who I thought might be helpful to Brown in figuring out the WPM role.
Brown also focuses much on her charity work and daily work in answering correspondence, attending meetings, raising her sons, etc. However, the book remains rather impersonal in a way. She never criticizes her husband and always remains supportive of him. It was interesting to see one or two anecdotes that her book and his on the financial crisis shared: When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, the Browns were awoken one morning early by a staff member. Sarah Brown thought it was their son and told him to go back to bed to let Gordon sleep, only to realize it wasn't their child. Both books also talk about being prepared to exit No. 10 in the case the bailout plan was not well received and Gordon Brown would have to resign.
But those glimpses are few and far in between. Other newspaper reviews criticized this book for being a little "Stepford Wife"-ish. Personally I don't think they could expect Brown to criticize her husband in a public venue like her book, nor did they seem to realize that she was not really there to write about the political. That said, sometimes the book seems stilted: apparently Brown chose to write this book soon after the 2010 election and compiled it from her diaries, notes, emails, etc. It took a bit of getting used to, but overall I enjoyed reading it for the most part.
In some ways the story isn't finished, as both are still living and as of this writing Brown still serves as an MP. It will be interesting if S. Brown chooses to write another book of the post No. 10 years or revise this one.
Personally I found it very enjoyable and liked being able to see a bit of what goes on in No. 10 in the eyes of the spouse. I do not consider myself an expert in British politics or history at ALL, but I didn't feel lost when Brown did discuss elections (which wasn't too often or jargony either). If you have any interest in her or her work or her husband or British politics, I think it's worth buying.
The book pretty much covers the time G. Brown enters 10 Downing St. and ends when Labour loses the 2010 election and becomes the Opposition. S. Brown discusses her mostly day to day activities, from getting settled to meeting people to what she does as the spouse of the PM as well as raising two young sons while being at No. 10. I found it really fascinating to read how she transitioned into from being the wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the wife of the Prime Minister (the experience was helpful).
We see glimpses of famous people and well-known politicians. Brown seems to like the Obamas a lot, with mentions quite often (with an amusing picture of her holding hands with President Obama standing next to their spouses). But we see Nicholas Sarkozy, David Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Piers Morgan, JK Rowling, etc. along with mentions of other politicians. But because Brown is not involved in the political, we see more mentions of people like the Obamas at big events (charity events, the G20, etc.) than say David Cameron, or Nick Clegg, except when relevant. Interestingly enough Tony Blair doesn't get much of a mention either--and neither does Cherie Blair, who I thought might be helpful to Brown in figuring out the WPM role.
Brown also focuses much on her charity work and daily work in answering correspondence, attending meetings, raising her sons, etc. However, the book remains rather impersonal in a way. She never criticizes her husband and always remains supportive of him. It was interesting to see one or two anecdotes that her book and his on the financial crisis shared: When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, the Browns were awoken one morning early by a staff member. Sarah Brown thought it was their son and told him to go back to bed to let Gordon sleep, only to realize it wasn't their child. Both books also talk about being prepared to exit No. 10 in the case the bailout plan was not well received and Gordon Brown would have to resign.
But those glimpses are few and far in between. Other newspaper reviews criticized this book for being a little "Stepford Wife"-ish. Personally I don't think they could expect Brown to criticize her husband in a public venue like her book, nor did they seem to realize that she was not really there to write about the political. That said, sometimes the book seems stilted: apparently Brown chose to write this book soon after the 2010 election and compiled it from her diaries, notes, emails, etc. It took a bit of getting used to, but overall I enjoyed reading it for the most part.
In some ways the story isn't finished, as both are still living and as of this writing Brown still serves as an MP. It will be interesting if S. Brown chooses to write another book of the post No. 10 years or revise this one.
Personally I found it very enjoyable and liked being able to see a bit of what goes on in No. 10 in the eyes of the spouse. I do not consider myself an expert in British politics or history at ALL, but I didn't feel lost when Brown did discuss elections (which wasn't too often or jargony either). If you have any interest in her or her work or her husband or British politics, I think it's worth buying.
October 31, 2017
I’m not quite sure what I expected from this book, but certainly not what I got.
The book is written by the wife of a former British Prime Minister, and I have to say that I didn’t finish it. From half the book I did read, it seemed to be little more than a travel diary. Every day is the same, only the name of places change. So today could be China. Tomorrow it could be Germany. The day after that it could be something else.
There are planes, and cars, and houses and hotels. There are trips with the husband, there are trips without the husband. There are meetings with other heads of states, there are meetings with the wives of the heads of states.
No doubt it was meant to convey what a busy man was a politician. What came across is the question, is all that travel necessary? Does it really achieve anything? Especially when you read about some head of state from a country where people are dying from starvation, or from lack of proper health-care, who are also playing the game of showing the flag on the on the international arena, instead of staying home and doing something constructive about the problems at home.
I read recently that in one small country with a population of less than 2 million people, the head of state spent 117 million dollars as his travelling expenses. And we’re only talking about one man. What about all the other members of his party, who also need to be seen.
And how about all those educational tours that politicians take. Is it really necessary for them to go and see at first-hand how other countries breed their cattle? Couldn’t they use the Internet instead.
And do we ever hear of concrete results of these expensive sojourns, or isn’t it usually some platitude of ‘cementing friendships’ or ‘meaningful talks’ or ‘invaluable insights’.
I found some of the revelations in this book disturbing. The matter of dressing the first lady, for example. Presumably feeling that the Prime Minister could not afford to outfit her with a different set of clothing for every occasion, the author states that she used to rent clothes and jewellery; thus avoiding, as she says, the media pointing out that she'd already worn that outfit on a previous occasion.
I don’t know exactly how to explain what I feel about this subterfuge. Especially when reading it in conjunction with the author’s concern for women who are in real need; as opposed to perceived need. She points out that there are some countries which are so poor that women continue to die unnecessarily during pregnancy or childbirth. According to the Internet, in this 21st century, with so much expertise available, some 300,000 women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth; one of the major reason being that they don’t get proper health care.
Somehow reading about a woman feeling she needed to rent some pearls to project the right image while at the same time espousing causes of people whose main concern is staying alive gave me a weird feeling.
I’ve read somewhere, that every country in the world – even the poorest – could take care of its citizens if companies and government officials could reign in their greed. And certainly the fact that heads of state and their parties can spend millions on showing their face all over the world would attest to the fact that the money is there. It’s just not being spent on those who need it.
Over the centuries historians have labelled different historical epochs with such titles as ‘the Age of Reason’ or ‘The Romantic Age’.
After reading this book, I’d say the perfect title for what’s happening in the world right now is, ‘The Age of the Absurd’.
The book is written by the wife of a former British Prime Minister, and I have to say that I didn’t finish it. From half the book I did read, it seemed to be little more than a travel diary. Every day is the same, only the name of places change. So today could be China. Tomorrow it could be Germany. The day after that it could be something else.
There are planes, and cars, and houses and hotels. There are trips with the husband, there are trips without the husband. There are meetings with other heads of states, there are meetings with the wives of the heads of states.
No doubt it was meant to convey what a busy man was a politician. What came across is the question, is all that travel necessary? Does it really achieve anything? Especially when you read about some head of state from a country where people are dying from starvation, or from lack of proper health-care, who are also playing the game of showing the flag on the on the international arena, instead of staying home and doing something constructive about the problems at home.
I read recently that in one small country with a population of less than 2 million people, the head of state spent 117 million dollars as his travelling expenses. And we’re only talking about one man. What about all the other members of his party, who also need to be seen.
And how about all those educational tours that politicians take. Is it really necessary for them to go and see at first-hand how other countries breed their cattle? Couldn’t they use the Internet instead.
And do we ever hear of concrete results of these expensive sojourns, or isn’t it usually some platitude of ‘cementing friendships’ or ‘meaningful talks’ or ‘invaluable insights’.
I found some of the revelations in this book disturbing. The matter of dressing the first lady, for example. Presumably feeling that the Prime Minister could not afford to outfit her with a different set of clothing for every occasion, the author states that she used to rent clothes and jewellery; thus avoiding, as she says, the media pointing out that she'd already worn that outfit on a previous occasion.
I don’t know exactly how to explain what I feel about this subterfuge. Especially when reading it in conjunction with the author’s concern for women who are in real need; as opposed to perceived need. She points out that there are some countries which are so poor that women continue to die unnecessarily during pregnancy or childbirth. According to the Internet, in this 21st century, with so much expertise available, some 300,000 women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth; one of the major reason being that they don’t get proper health care.
Somehow reading about a woman feeling she needed to rent some pearls to project the right image while at the same time espousing causes of people whose main concern is staying alive gave me a weird feeling.
I’ve read somewhere, that every country in the world – even the poorest – could take care of its citizens if companies and government officials could reign in their greed. And certainly the fact that heads of state and their parties can spend millions on showing their face all over the world would attest to the fact that the money is there. It’s just not being spent on those who need it.
Over the centuries historians have labelled different historical epochs with such titles as ‘the Age of Reason’ or ‘The Romantic Age’.
After reading this book, I’d say the perfect title for what’s happening in the world right now is, ‘The Age of the Absurd’.
March 7, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. Brown comes over as a dedicated and hard working person. However I have to admit I found it it rather hard going and didn't finish it. She is relentlessly nice about everyone from the Downing Street cleaners to Prince Andrew (and it's interesting to see characters who were part of the establishment then who aren't perhaps regarded as favourably now) but honestly it's a bit "worthy". She could have done with a stricter editor. Some of the passages are very long, although the style of the book (short diary entries) makes it easy to read in short chunks. I understand that she did not wish to compromise the privacy of her husband and particularly her sons, but I'm surprised that, at least in the bits I read, there is SO little of the personal in the book. All in all I am pleased that I have read what I did and do feel that I learnt something but I can't say that it was a particularly enjoyable experience.
July 4, 2011
"Behind the Black Door" is a charming insight into the mysterious world of life as the wife of the British Prime Minister. It feels open, honest and an 'all access pass' to the hallowed halls of 10 Downing Street. At times I found it fascinating.
That being said, there was the smallest element for me that felt like 'spin'. A chance to 'right the wrongs' portrayed in media and push her Party's agenda. And why not.... it's a perfect forum for it and she's passionate about the Labour Party and her husband. But for me, it detracted from this book slightly.
I think a must for all Labour supporters but for me, it was a 'mildly fascinating' insight into an unknown world.
That being said, there was the smallest element for me that felt like 'spin'. A chance to 'right the wrongs' portrayed in media and push her Party's agenda. And why not.... it's a perfect forum for it and she's passionate about the Labour Party and her husband. But for me, it detracted from this book slightly.
I think a must for all Labour supporters but for me, it was a 'mildly fascinating' insight into an unknown world.
June 12, 2011
Sarah Brown's book Behind the black door is a diary over the 3 years Gordon Brown was Prime Minister and Sarah was WOPM. It's an honest and open book where she writes about everything from being a mother of two little boys to meeting President Bush and Nelson Mandela. How she finds herself feeling frumpy after recently given birth and not liking to speak in public. A very normal woman. And that is why I like the book. Sarah Brown is just a normal woman who happens to be married to the Prime Minster of the UK. She still has her own life and own agenda and is trying to do her best. Just like you and me.
May 17, 2011
I expected this book to be a pick it up, put it down one but found it a real page turner. My admiration for Sarah Brown, about whom I previously knew nothing, comes about, not just because of the charity work she does so tirelessly, but for her good humour in a variety of situations and the way she tells some upsetting incidents without rancour. She obviously loves her husband and sons unreservedly and somehow, with frenetic schedules, still manages to make a real home for them behind tat black door.
February 28, 2012
What I liked best about this book what an entirely different book on Downing Street life than Cherie Blair's - which I had previously read and enjoyed. I listened to an audiobook and being read by the author gave it more interest than i think a read would have, but got tired of descriptions of clothes & twittering.
I am not a conservative but I ended up liking the Brown family as people, and for this alone it was worth the time.
I am not a conservative but I ended up liking the Brown family as people, and for this alone it was worth the time.
October 28, 2012
At first I found it pretty repetitive without much depth but after looking around a bit online and seeing some videos of Sarah speaking I felt I could 'hear her voice' better and enjoyed the book more after that. Certainly it was an interesting life to lead for a few years and not an easy one. I finished the book with respect for Sarah and would like to go on and read Gordon's books now.
March 21, 2011
It's not quite as anodyne as people have claimed, there are a few interesting insights into how the Downing Street machine works. It illustrates how, despite wanting the job for a decade, the Browns seemed quite unprepared for the reality of living in Number 10 once it finally happened.
February 6, 2015
A very warm book, giving an insight into how life works at No 10, made me like Sarah Brown very much. I think she held back a little on the emotion but even so, it feels real and a little understated.
Would definitely recommend to other working Mums
Would definitely recommend to other working Mums
August 5, 2016
Diverting but not brilliant. The diary format is a clever device to cover what she really thinks in places.
Want to read
March 26, 2012E-Library audio book on my clip.
May 2, 2021
Completely honest and loved it!
May 6, 2012
It's interesting to know, what it's like to be an ordinary woman, wife and mother to a Prime Minister of United Kingdom (Gordon Brown). Adore her so much.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews