Alan Clark: A Life in his Own Words: The Complete Diaries 1972 - 1999

by Alan Clark, Ion Trewin

Some of the most talked about books of recent years, Alan Clark's diaries provide a witty and irreverant insider's account of political life in Britain. Now in one volume.'From the moment the first scabrous and brilliant volume was published, people wanted more. Now they have it and they will not be disappointed... These diaries are not wonderful simply because they show a politician unafraid to say what he thinks, and refusing to suck up to those whom he represents. They are great because they show all sides of a man who was, within his complex personality, arrogant, sensitive, loyal, unfaithful, patriotic, selfish, selfless, and - at all times - completely Technicolour' Simon Heffner, DAILY MAIL

Genres: Politics

788 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2011

About the author

Alan Clark was an English Conservative MP, historian and diarist.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Cathal Boylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diaries, more so than autobiographies, give the more accurate picture of the person, written as they are 'in the moment' and without the benefit of any hindsight. Assuming the diaries themselves have not been sanitised in the collating or editing, then, one gains an intimate picture of the diarist, with all their human successes and failures. In Clark's case, it is the latter - his foibles and idiosyncrasies, his ego and pride, his infidelities and carousing - which make for the best reading. He is the archetypal politician - he loves the cut and thrust of it all, the boys-only atmosphere of the House of Commons, the gossiping and drinking, the speeches from the dispatch box, the late dinners, the private clubs, backgammon and gambling - all the while bemoaning his constituents, the civil service, the opposition and bloody foreigners. It is a great read, culminating in his succumbing to a brain tumour, with the last month of his life written up so poignantly by his long-suffering wife.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written! I found his activities inside and outside of politics interesting. Should be interesting to those who like reading a person's first-hand experience in politics or anyone who likes reading published diaries as I do. The author was a bit of a hypochondriac which sometimes becomes wearing to the reader.

As I read it this person's character-if you can call it that-became all too apparent. He was a philanderer and unfaithful to his wife. I found myself wondering why his wife chose to stay with him and continued to love him despite his affairs and wandering eye. I'll never understand why women choose to remain with such people as this person evidently was.

One thing I found particularly interesting was that at the end of the book when his wife wrote diary entries of her own to describe the final days of her husband's life a Roman Catholic priest told her that Mr. Clark had converted to Roman Catholicism. Yet when she investigated the supposed incident for herself she concluded that this did not happen! I wondered why any Catholic priest would make such a claim when it didn't happen but then I suppose it was done to actively encourage her and possibly others to convert. Knowing what I know about the Roman Catholic Institution this doesn't surprise me at all.

[Deirdre Shanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deliciously gossipy, no holds barred accounts of Alan Clark’s almost picaresque adventures and candid criticisms of his peers relayed via his diaries covering 27 years. He is witty when commenting disparagingly on some of his peers, eg, Michael Heseltine had to buy his own furniture in contrast to most others who would have course inherited their furniture.

[Imaduddin Ahmed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Replete with racism. Seems that Clark was driven mainly by nationalism and cared little about much more than defence, immigration and animal rights - the latter of which is an interesting contrast. Still, sad to read the last pages as he suffered towards the end.

[Mark Beech · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a contradiction of a man. Passionate about animals and animal rights - but on other topics including how he conducted his life he was outrageous. An enjoyable, though long read.

[Terry Feix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although sometimes salacious, these insights provide the definitive insider account of the fall of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

[Mark Suffern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable,the final month of his life,when his wife writes the diary,is too hard to read.