[(The Best of Benn)] [By (author) Tony Benn ] published on

by Tony Benn

Tony Benn was one of the twentieth century's most charismatic politicians. The Best of Benn showcases his powers of original thinking and communication over seven decades. From "the baby of the house" to a retired widower, he was a consistently radical campaigning voice on issues such as the death penalty, the case against the European Union, opposition to war and support of workers' rights. This volume brings together Tony Benn's electrifying speeches, thoughtful journalism and passionate advocacy of often unconventional causes.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, History

Paperback

First published November 6, 2014

About the author

Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1951 until 2001, and was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan in the 1960s and 1970s. After his retirement from the House of Commons, he continued his activism and served as president of the Stop the War Coalition.

Reviews

[Julian Worker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of speeches and articles that shows the extent of Tony Benn's interests and his mastery of communication.

Tony Benn was against the Common Market / EEC / EU and it's fascinating to read how he refined and developed his arguments against this organisation throughout his life.

He was interested in industrial democracy and workers' control of their own work. Benn understood there's nothing that creates more ill will in industry than when people are denied the elementary authority they need to plan and guide the work they are qualified to do.

Tony Benn was a constituency MP in first Bristol and then Chesterfield.

[Fran Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed !! I lost it at a train station so i haven’t quite finished it but i thought it was very insightful

[เนติวิทย์ โชติภัทร์ไพศาล · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoy and miss him so much.

[Clive Gerrard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, rather than a fascinating insight into British political history. The book is a compilation of Benn's diary extracts, letters, speeches to Labour party members and speeches in the 'Commons'. His left-wing views are well know and documented accordingly and so his views are unsurprisingly, somewhat controversial.

I found his diary entries to be the most interesting, as he reacts to national and international events. However, some of his speeches to an extremely left wing audience, was frankly laughable, as he tries to justify the excesses of Marxism, comparing it to Christianity in many similes that simply do not hold water. That is not to say that all the things written is like this, especially when discussing Tory Government views on unemployment, OAP's, etc which is both enlightening and really quite profound. The dichotomy between political realism, his obvious fervour to help the less well off in society and the naive, adolescent-like, utopian idealism of his speeches to party members are starkly apparent to the reader.

The book is enjoyable read, if you're interested in political history and as such, I read it in just over a day. If you find political memoirs boring, this is not the book for you.

[Lucinda Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not agree with all of Tony Benn's ideas, but there is no doubt that he was a brilliant and original thinker. There is nobody who comes past his ankles in stature in socialist thought today.

Also, his integrity shows through almost every line. That is almost certainly why he never came to lead the Labour Party. Such a man would never have compromised over his view that the European Union is a fundamentally flawed and corrupt capitalist institution, and that the Maestricht Treaty is inimical to any attempt to implement genuinely socialist economic planning in the UK.

Fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of the labour movement since World War Two, besides.

[V C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of Ben's speeches, diaries and letters. The organisational order of these feel slightly jarring and mismanaged which left one slightly discombobulated. A little more background and more pages all together in one section - on each issue would make this a more rounded read. A lot of the issues now feel historic but their importance lost in the presentation of a principled and intelligent man.

[Philip McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and, not surprisingly, incisive writing on issues of the latter part of the 20th and early part of this century. Always at odds with the establishment, Benn marshals his arguments very thoroughly. One can understand how he arrives at his conclusions. He was prescient in many ways. And as time went by he updated his predictions as events unfolded. He was never afraid to change his mind.

[Peter Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I had heard about Tony Benn I had not read much about him until the time of the UK EU debate. This book was a really interesting read for a traditional right winger like me and most shockingly found myself agreeing with large parts of it at the time...

[David Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful introductory book to a fascinating political mind. His experience in and out of government and his humanist attitude make him very well placed to give commentary on the last half century of politics in the UK. Its astute, self-effacing and at all times considered and compassionate.

[Mark Edon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasury of common sense and wisdom.

[Darran Scully · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up as an introduction to Benn. Very good. Lots of good quotes.

[Emily Davies (libraryofcalliope) · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘺𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘉𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥.
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This was a really interesting collection of writings including letters, diary entries, speeches, and articles, all written by Tony Benn, a Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol South East and Chesterfield for 47 of the 51 years between 1950 and 2001. In these writings, we see Benn musing on all kinds of issues from the large (how the Labour Party can best serve its members) to the small (his irritation at being unable to smoke his pipe on a train). In many ways, it was quite depressing to see how we are still having the same conversations all these years later, but it also serves as a reminder that while it can feel like a losing battle, there are people working tirelessly to change it. This was a fascinating read which works as an excellent introduction to Benn as well as being a timely read that I think Keir Starmer should take note of.

[Sally Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the politics and diaries of Tony Benn. This books dips into Tony Benn's whole career and includes a wide range of speeches from the Falklands, to whether Britain should be in Europe, to the miner's strike. The power of the spoken/written word is never in question - eloquent, elegant and engaging, Tony Benn is a master of language. Apparently he wrote upwards of 15 million words of which 2 million were used and recorded and archived by his teabags - amongst them Edward Miliband! His speeches are clear, transparent, and show his passion for his very left politics. It is though, the excerpts from his diaries that I really loved. When he describes listening to his mum talking about post First World War politics or his frustration at having power outages due to changing to 'power' or hearing him describe a visit from local children to the House of Commons, we really see the real man emerge. A warm, funny, engaging and witty, and moral man, with a willingness to learn from his grandchildren. You cannot help but admire him enormously. I only wish I'd taken more notice of what he had to say when he was alive.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If ever there were a book I thought worth carrying on my person at all times, it would be this. Through Tony Benn's political and personal life, it reads like a potted history of the political struggles of Britain through the 20th and early 21st century. Often prescient, and a reminder that so many issues we face today are not new, not unique, and not insurmountable. There are times reading Benn's words with the benefit of hindsight where he was correct in his predictions and you wish he weren't, and times were his wishes never came true and you wish they had, but they always shine a light not just on the politics and issues of the time, but of today. Essential reading.

[Abi Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book with the heart and soul of one of the most human men of our time. The editor of this collection, Ruth Winstone, has collated some of the best speeches and diary entries made by Tony Benn throughout his long and politically prolific life. It leads you on a journey through a few of his parliamentary debates with examples of the some of the clearest thinking and forthright decision making that I have ever read. Benn was truly an eminent socialist and political activist who could be said to have lived by Bertrand Russell's tenet: 'remember your humanity, and forget the rest'.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The older I get the more I appreciate Tony Benn. One of the greatest speakers who stuck to his principles(a rare thing in politics). This book contains speeches, extracts from his diaries and letters. A great introduction into the writings of Benn.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prescient, sincere and honest! I came away with a different perspective on topics as diverse as the European Union, Tony Blair and Capitalism as well as old age and assisted dying. Truly wonderful...

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any Benn anthology will always feel too abridged.

[Luke Franklin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why used three words when Benn can use three hundred!

I like the man and his politics but his style of writing just bores the pants of me.

[Jessica Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as much fun as the diaries, but still a great introduction to Benn's writing.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely inspiring...at just the right moment.