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Head of State
The first novel from Britain’s most celebrated political commentator is a gleefully twisted take on what goes on behind the door of 10 Downing Street.
It’s September 2017, and the United Kingdom is on the verge of a crucial referendum that will determine, once and for all, if the country remains a member of the European Union, or goes its own way. The stakes could not possibly be higher, and the outcome is delicately balanced.
But, unsuspected by the electorate, and unknown to all but a handful of members of the Prime Minister’s innermost circle, there is a shocking secret at the very heart of government that, were it to become known, would change everything in an instant. A group of ruthlessly determined individuals will stop at nothing – including murder – to prevent that from happening.
Andrew Marr’s first novel is a darkly comic tale of deception and skulduggery in Downing Street and Whitehall. Making full use of his unrivalled inside knowledge of the British political scene, Marr has created a sparkling entertainment, a wholly original depiction of Westminster and its denizens, and a fascinating, irreverent glimpse behind the parliamentary curtain.
Andrew Marr is a former editor of The Independent and BBC Political Editor. He currently hosts BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show, and presented Radio 4's Start the Week from 2005 to 2012. His acclaimed television documentary series include Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain and Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain. He is a hugely successful non-fiction author, and his first novel, Head of State will be published in 2014.
It’s September 2017, and the United Kingdom is on the verge of a crucial referendum that will determine, once and for all, if the country remains a member of the European Union, or goes its own way. The stakes could not possibly be higher, and the outcome is delicately balanced.
But, unsuspected by the electorate, and unknown to all but a handful of members of the Prime Minister’s innermost circle, there is a shocking secret at the very heart of government that, were it to become known, would change everything in an instant. A group of ruthlessly determined individuals will stop at nothing – including murder – to prevent that from happening.
Andrew Marr’s first novel is a darkly comic tale of deception and skulduggery in Downing Street and Whitehall. Making full use of his unrivalled inside knowledge of the British political scene, Marr has created a sparkling entertainment, a wholly original depiction of Westminster and its denizens, and a fascinating, irreverent glimpse behind the parliamentary curtain.
Andrew Marr is a former editor of The Independent and BBC Political Editor. He currently hosts BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show, and presented Radio 4's Start the Week from 2005 to 2012. His acclaimed television documentary series include Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain and Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain. He is a hugely successful non-fiction author, and his first novel, Head of State will be published in 2014.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
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843 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Marr
80 books222 followersAndrew Marr is a Scottish journalist. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and has had a long career in political journalism, working for the Scotsman, The Independent, The Economist, the Express and the Observer. From 2000 to 2005 he was the BBC's Political Editor. His broadcasting includes series on contemporary thinkers for BBC 2 and Radio 4, political documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC Panorama, and Radio 4's Start The Week'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
March 15, 2021
I am considering setting up SPABB: Society for the Protection of Accurate Book Blurb. The back of the book reads thus: "When a young investigative reporter is found dead on the streets of London, few people notice. But when another body - minus its head and hands - is washed up on the banks of the Thames, its grisly condition arouses a little more interest." So we're getting a detective story, yes? Or Woodward and Bernstein cutting a swathe through London?
Sadly, no. This blurb appears to have been written by someone from the publishers who met Andrew Marr the night before, got very drunk, lost his notes and then constructed something in a fug of hangover the next morning. Whilst few are interested in the investigative reporter, no one is interested in the headless body. Not even the police.
What we get instead is a fun political satire set against the In-Out-Shake-It-All-About Euro referendum. There are some lovely, vivid characters - particularly liked Myfanwy the sixties sexy novelist and the aged historian. Loved the bit when Rory Bremner started changing government policy during a radio phone-in (with a call from Reg Dwight, which perhaps should have been about policy on same-sex marriage). Tuition fees? Gone!
A fun, easy holiday read.
Does anyone else have any candidates to go in the SPABB Hall of Shame?
Sadly, no. This blurb appears to have been written by someone from the publishers who met Andrew Marr the night before, got very drunk, lost his notes and then constructed something in a fug of hangover the next morning. Whilst few are interested in the investigative reporter, no one is interested in the headless body. Not even the police.
What we get instead is a fun political satire set against the In-Out-Shake-It-All-About Euro referendum. There are some lovely, vivid characters - particularly liked Myfanwy the sixties sexy novelist and the aged historian. Loved the bit when Rory Bremner started changing government policy during a radio phone-in (with a call from Reg Dwight, which perhaps should have been about policy on same-sex marriage). Tuition fees? Gone!
A fun, easy holiday read.
Does anyone else have any candidates to go in the SPABB Hall of Shame?
January 4, 2016
I picked this book up because I have always rather enjoyed the friendly enthusiasm Andrew Marr brings to everything he does and was expecting another Marr dose this time in a thriller.
Sadly this book is absolute and utter tosh. There are two types of books where you skip to the end to find out what happened. The first are those which create such expert tension that racked with unease you must simply rush forward. Then there ar those which are so dreadfully bad that you just cannot bear it any longer and need to put an end to the silliness. Head of state falls under the mercy killing set.
It's starts off rather well, some inside gossip, a headless corpse as Britain heads into s referendum on EU membership, but quickly descends into the utterly improbable without the humor to pull off a convincing satire or even a farce. The descriptions of the characters are painful and while there is a little bit of fun to be had in guessing who the real life inspiration for the characters are it soon gets ground out of you.
A very poor book. Left on the subway.
Sadly this book is absolute and utter tosh. There are two types of books where you skip to the end to find out what happened. The first are those which create such expert tension that racked with unease you must simply rush forward. Then there ar those which are so dreadfully bad that you just cannot bear it any longer and need to put an end to the silliness. Head of state falls under the mercy killing set.
It's starts off rather well, some inside gossip, a headless corpse as Britain heads into s referendum on EU membership, but quickly descends into the utterly improbable without the humor to pull off a convincing satire or even a farce. The descriptions of the characters are painful and while there is a little bit of fun to be had in guessing who the real life inspiration for the characters are it soon gets ground out of you.
A very poor book. Left on the subway.
December 2, 2014
Head of State is Andrew Marr's fiction debut, concerning a scandalous plot at the heart of government, some murders, a spot of journalistic crusading and the backdrop of an imminent referendum on the European question.
It's very enjoyable, even compelling in places, but the final impression is that Marr has basically combined the seat-of-your-pants, make-it-up-as-we-go-along plot freedom of an early Ben Elton novel, with the cosy, middle-class and humour-free low ambition of a recent Ben Elton novel. However, by making it timey-wimey and presenting the story out of chronological order Marr creates some jaw-dropping story moments.
Let's look at the problems with it: firstly Marr keeps referring to himself (now Martin Amis can do this, and does so, masterfully, in Money) as a 'thing' - to characters "not even going on Marr" - a reference to his TV show. If we knew from the outset the book was set in 2017, this would be plausible, but you only find this detail out at the end, and until then the impression given is that the action is set a decade or so from now when, let's be honest, there wouldn't still be a BBC One Marr show to go on.
Secondly, the choice of cultural references is a bit lazy. Is Rory Bremner still really going to be the only decent political impressionist in the UK a few years from now? Why not make up a new one? Why strive so for verisimilitude in a work of fiction? Even Michael Dobbs didn't pursue this route in House of Cards.
Thirdly, the cast of characters. Yes, a politico is a politico is a politico, but even the background characters and younger cast feel like they've been borrowed from the same stock character reserve that Elton used to frequent so regularly for his first three novels. Here a hastily-drawn foul-mouthed old novelist, there a bumbling Lord.
Lastly the book is predicated around the British public's abiding love and affection for their long-serving Prime Minister (who is explicitly not Cameron or Johnson). Now, 2015 is an election year, and whoever wins has two years in office to become this well-seasoned and fondly loved old grandee of British politics. Seems a bit of an ask. After two years we still weren't sure about Blair, but two years has been enough to roundly despise every other Prime Minister in living memory.
As a debut, it's great, and as an (inevitable) BBC mini-series it'll be fine, but next time I for one hope Marr gives us something a bit less Ben Elton and a bit more....actually where is the great novel about frontline politics? Maybe Marr should aim high. He's certainly a good enough writer...
It's very enjoyable, even compelling in places, but the final impression is that Marr has basically combined the seat-of-your-pants, make-it-up-as-we-go-along plot freedom of an early Ben Elton novel, with the cosy, middle-class and humour-free low ambition of a recent Ben Elton novel. However, by making it timey-wimey and presenting the story out of chronological order Marr creates some jaw-dropping story moments.
Let's look at the problems with it: firstly Marr keeps referring to himself (now Martin Amis can do this, and does so, masterfully, in Money) as a 'thing' - to characters "not even going on Marr" - a reference to his TV show. If we knew from the outset the book was set in 2017, this would be plausible, but you only find this detail out at the end, and until then the impression given is that the action is set a decade or so from now when, let's be honest, there wouldn't still be a BBC One Marr show to go on.
Secondly, the choice of cultural references is a bit lazy. Is Rory Bremner still really going to be the only decent political impressionist in the UK a few years from now? Why not make up a new one? Why strive so for verisimilitude in a work of fiction? Even Michael Dobbs didn't pursue this route in House of Cards.
Thirdly, the cast of characters. Yes, a politico is a politico is a politico, but even the background characters and younger cast feel like they've been borrowed from the same stock character reserve that Elton used to frequent so regularly for his first three novels. Here a hastily-drawn foul-mouthed old novelist, there a bumbling Lord.
Lastly the book is predicated around the British public's abiding love and affection for their long-serving Prime Minister (who is explicitly not Cameron or Johnson). Now, 2015 is an election year, and whoever wins has two years in office to become this well-seasoned and fondly loved old grandee of British politics. Seems a bit of an ask. After two years we still weren't sure about Blair, but two years has been enough to roundly despise every other Prime Minister in living memory.
As a debut, it's great, and as an (inevitable) BBC mini-series it'll be fine, but next time I for one hope Marr gives us something a bit less Ben Elton and a bit more....actually where is the great novel about frontline politics? Maybe Marr should aim high. He's certainly a good enough writer...
October 23, 2020
Note to self - “Never feel tempted to pick up a novel by Andrew Marr again! This was a waste of a few hours of my time, very weak storytelling (partly caused by an ill thought out structure with too much jumping back and forward); exaggerated characters, and a garbled message.
November 20, 2014
Marr's first attempt at fiction will leave some readers on either side of the fence, much like part of the premise for his book. Set in September 2017, the UK is about to hold a nationwide referendum about remaining in the European Union. There are those on both sides of the argument, stumping and twisting arms, while Europe and the rest of the world watches on. In these final days, those inside 10 Downing Street harbour a secret, one that could turn the tables on the entire referendum. As the final push begins, this secret becomes less covert and things slowly unravel, but who will benefit from the news coming out? Is Britain set to leave the EU behind and what will that do on a financial and political scale? Marr posits this in his novel, with some success, though the story is taken up more with trivialities than concrete political impetus, as the title might suggest. Good for your plane, train, or automobile rides, but perhaps not to be bumped to the top of your reading list (as I made the mistake of doing).
Marr enters the novel with an interesting idea, a political referendum that has deep roots in the UK. From there, the story gets a little flabby and somewhat disjointed. While Marr tries an interesting literary approach, layering the narrative in a non-sequential manner (skipping days ahead and behind in each section), revealing information and then going back to place that knowledge against something the reader has already seen, it does not have the impact it could have to make the novel effective. This could have been a highly political novel, a la FIRST AMONG EQUALS or HOUSE OF CARDS, but falls flat. Marr's insistence on giving back story to all his characters in the early sections of the book may cause some readers to put the book down before getting to any of the meat, which is revealed around halfway through. Alas, a political thriller cannot, especially with the bouncing around the chronology wheel, wait that long to lure in the reader.
Tepid marks, Mr. Marr. Perhaps non-fiction writing is where you ought to remain, unless you heed some of the suggestions placed at your feet.
Marr enters the novel with an interesting idea, a political referendum that has deep roots in the UK. From there, the story gets a little flabby and somewhat disjointed. While Marr tries an interesting literary approach, layering the narrative in a non-sequential manner (skipping days ahead and behind in each section), revealing information and then going back to place that knowledge against something the reader has already seen, it does not have the impact it could have to make the novel effective. This could have been a highly political novel, a la FIRST AMONG EQUALS or HOUSE OF CARDS, but falls flat. Marr's insistence on giving back story to all his characters in the early sections of the book may cause some readers to put the book down before getting to any of the meat, which is revealed around halfway through. Alas, a political thriller cannot, especially with the bouncing around the chronology wheel, wait that long to lure in the reader.
Tepid marks, Mr. Marr. Perhaps non-fiction writing is where you ought to remain, unless you heed some of the suggestions placed at your feet.
July 13, 2015
I was really looking forward to getting stuck into this book; it was billed as an exciting political thriller and with such a renowned political correspondent in charge of the story I thought I couldn't lose.
The first chapter started off really well and I was anticipating a tightly woven plot. Frankly the story line was preposterous, the plot farcical and the characters entirely two dimensional. If it was intended to be a farce then it simply wasn't witty or humourous enough to cut it. I have never been so pleased to get to the end of the novel with its totally ridiculous conclusion. Not to mention the terrible pun in the title of this book.
I will be steering clear of anything written by Mr Marr in future. This copy is going straight to the charity shop!
The first chapter started off really well and I was anticipating a tightly woven plot. Frankly the story line was preposterous, the plot farcical and the characters entirely two dimensional. If it was intended to be a farce then it simply wasn't witty or humourous enough to cut it. I have never been so pleased to get to the end of the novel with its totally ridiculous conclusion. Not to mention the terrible pun in the title of this book.
I will be steering clear of anything written by Mr Marr in future. This copy is going straight to the charity shop!
December 29, 2014
Gave up on page 67 after literally nothing showed up by way of a plot.
Rather than telling a story through the characters, the author simply introduces them and their back stories chapter-after-chapter.
It's like we're being exposed to the author's own notes that he used to construct the book, but they were never knitted together.
Some of the writing makes no sense, considering the author's foreword is all "nudge-nudge wink-wink this is actually all true". For example, The Guardian fires journalists for being pro-Palestinian?!?
Some of the writing is just poor. For example, "June is cold and bright"?!?
I've had enough.
Rather than telling a story through the characters, the author simply introduces them and their back stories chapter-after-chapter.
It's like we're being exposed to the author's own notes that he used to construct the book, but they were never knitted together.
Some of the writing makes no sense, considering the author's foreword is all "nudge-nudge wink-wink this is actually all true". For example, The Guardian fires journalists for being pro-Palestinian?!?
Some of the writing is just poor. For example, "June is cold and bright"?!?
I've had enough.
June 22, 2020
A shocker. Kind of 'painting by numbers' approach to plot and character development. The fact that everyone seems absolutely noxious does not help.
October 24, 2021
Marr sums up his book near the end when he has a character say "the whole story's just too ridiculous for words"; I only stuck with this as I was on holiday and had run out of other books on my kindle. If this had been written by an unknown then it is doubtful if it would have seen the light of day- I would suggest that Marr sticks to non-fiction but if he insists on writing fiction at least get the factual bits right- container ships do not sail in to Harwich in Essex but to Felixstowe in Suffolk. If I could rate it as zero stars I would
April 6, 2017
If I were pitching this book in Hollywood, I might describe it as a mashup of “Wag the Dog” and the British version of “House of Cards.” This expertly crafted novel is a blend of absurd political satire and self-centered politics at its nastiest. The result is glorious.
Step forward to 2017, when Great Britain is sharply divided over whether to withdraw from the European Union or stay the course. It’s three days before the referendum that will make this historic decision — and the immensely popular Prime Minister, who supports the European connection, slumps over at his desk, dead.
What to do? If word gets out, the fateful decision will surely go against the government. How can the Prime Minister’s body even be hidden from the public? No worries. His faithful staff will solve the problem adroitly, with the help of a shadowy figure named Alois Haydn from the world of political PR who is a legendary expert in crisis management (though virtually unknown to the public). But can the man be trusted? Therein lies the rub.
A Keystone Kops-like series of events ensues, rife with confusion, murder, betrayal, love both requited and un, and political espionage. The narrative jumps from one day to the next, then back a day or two before moving forward in time again, giving rise to a mind-bending series of revelations. It’s a grand old mess, and extremely funny.
If there’s any point to all these shenanigans, it might be summed up in a monologue by Haydn that includes the following verdict: “The British think they’re democrats. But they’re only shoppers. They don’t vote very much, and they don’t think very much, either. Here the only people who count are the very rich, the people who can buy football teams and private jets and flash penthouses on the Thames.” Is that cynical enough for you?
The author, Andrew Marr, is in his own right a force to be reckoned with in British politics. He is best known for his Sunday-morning political interview show on BBC-TV and his Monday-morning show on BBC Radio, but he has written — and broadcast — several popular histories of Britain and the world as a whole. Previously, he was also editor of the Independent newspaper and political editor of the BBC. Head of State is his first novel.
Step forward to 2017, when Great Britain is sharply divided over whether to withdraw from the European Union or stay the course. It’s three days before the referendum that will make this historic decision — and the immensely popular Prime Minister, who supports the European connection, slumps over at his desk, dead.
What to do? If word gets out, the fateful decision will surely go against the government. How can the Prime Minister’s body even be hidden from the public? No worries. His faithful staff will solve the problem adroitly, with the help of a shadowy figure named Alois Haydn from the world of political PR who is a legendary expert in crisis management (though virtually unknown to the public). But can the man be trusted? Therein lies the rub.
A Keystone Kops-like series of events ensues, rife with confusion, murder, betrayal, love both requited and un, and political espionage. The narrative jumps from one day to the next, then back a day or two before moving forward in time again, giving rise to a mind-bending series of revelations. It’s a grand old mess, and extremely funny.
If there’s any point to all these shenanigans, it might be summed up in a monologue by Haydn that includes the following verdict: “The British think they’re democrats. But they’re only shoppers. They don’t vote very much, and they don’t think very much, either. Here the only people who count are the very rich, the people who can buy football teams and private jets and flash penthouses on the Thames.” Is that cynical enough for you?
The author, Andrew Marr, is in his own right a force to be reckoned with in British politics. He is best known for his Sunday-morning political interview show on BBC-TV and his Monday-morning show on BBC Radio, but he has written — and broadcast — several popular histories of Britain and the world as a whole. Previously, he was also editor of the Independent newspaper and political editor of the BBC. Head of State is his first novel.
November 15, 2015
This wonderful novel achieved a triple whammy for me: Provoked me to utter OMG! (in surprise and horror) at one point; had me laughing uproariously many, many times, and caused me to miss my homeland and good old down-to-earth (as in Anglo-Saxon) British humor. This book was like a combination of RED (the movie with Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis -- Retired, Extremely Dangerous), House of Cards -- the darker, superior British version -- and the 1993 Kevin Kline movie Dave.
While I note that many reviewers seemed to dislike the book for its "one dimensional characters" and "lack of plot," I could recognize and relate to many of the cast of characters -- so quintessentially British -- right away. And while I agree there is no central character who carries the plot forward (Alois Haydn? Lord Briskett? Lucien McBryde? Jennifer Lewis?) there are enough twists and turns here to warrant its own ride in a theme park!
I just loved the references to that superb political impersonator, Rory Bremner as well as the way the author wove fictional and real-life characters into this richly observed farce. (Although I found it rather annoying when the author--a BBC host--injected himself several times into the story, as if he were referring to a third party!)
What kept the pages turning for me was Mr. Marr's wonderful prose. He is an incredibly witty writer (a skill I envy!), educating readers in so many ways, from the story about Churchill and Sir Stafford Cripps (page 246) to how one might go about "shorting" an entire country.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Bravo, Mr. Marr....can't wait for the next one, as long as it's as joyous to read as this.
While I note that many reviewers seemed to dislike the book for its "one dimensional characters" and "lack of plot," I could recognize and relate to many of the cast of characters -- so quintessentially British -- right away. And while I agree there is no central character who carries the plot forward (Alois Haydn? Lord Briskett? Lucien McBryde? Jennifer Lewis?) there are enough twists and turns here to warrant its own ride in a theme park!
I just loved the references to that superb political impersonator, Rory Bremner as well as the way the author wove fictional and real-life characters into this richly observed farce. (Although I found it rather annoying when the author--a BBC host--injected himself several times into the story, as if he were referring to a third party!)
What kept the pages turning for me was Mr. Marr's wonderful prose. He is an incredibly witty writer (a skill I envy!), educating readers in so many ways, from the story about Churchill and Sir Stafford Cripps (page 246) to how one might go about "shorting" an entire country.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Bravo, Mr. Marr....can't wait for the next one, as long as it's as joyous to read as this.
June 7, 2016
J'avais hâte de me lancer dans ce thriller politique dont le pitch faisait vraiment envie. En effet, à la veille d'un référendum sur le Brexit au Royaume-Uni, le Premier Ministre décède. Nous allons donc suivre les implications de sa mort sur les campagnes menées par les partisans du "Oui" et par ceux du "Non".
Malheureusement, dès le départ, l'histoire retombe très vite. Il est déjà très difficile de rentrer dans ce livre car il y a beaucoup de personnages dont les liens ne sont pas très clairs au départ et comme on les suit sur différentes journées (il y a d'incessants retour en arrière, passages en avant, etc.), c'est assez compliqué à suivre.
Mais, même une fois que l'histoire est plus posée (il faut tout de même attendre une bonne centaine de pages sur les 335), les rebondissements sont peu crédibles. Les personnages sont peu développés et c'est dommage il y avait certainement des choses intéressantes à faire.
Etant donné la carrière de l'auteur je m'attendais à quelque chose de plus subtil mais j'ai trouvé que l'ensemble manquait de finesse et je ne crois pas une minute que cela pourrait se passer dans la réalité.
En revanche, ce roman reste divertissant mais il ne faut pas en attendre une histoire réaliste.
Malheureusement, dès le départ, l'histoire retombe très vite. Il est déjà très difficile de rentrer dans ce livre car il y a beaucoup de personnages dont les liens ne sont pas très clairs au départ et comme on les suit sur différentes journées (il y a d'incessants retour en arrière, passages en avant, etc.), c'est assez compliqué à suivre.
Mais, même une fois que l'histoire est plus posée (il faut tout de même attendre une bonne centaine de pages sur les 335), les rebondissements sont peu crédibles. Les personnages sont peu développés et c'est dommage il y avait certainement des choses intéressantes à faire.
Etant donné la carrière de l'auteur je m'attendais à quelque chose de plus subtil mais j'ai trouvé que l'ensemble manquait de finesse et je ne crois pas une minute que cela pourrait se passer dans la réalité.
En revanche, ce roman reste divertissant mais il ne faut pas en attendre une histoire réaliste.
October 27, 2014
Set in Britain in 2017 during a national referendum to settle the continual question "should the UK leave the European Union". A young reporter is found dead and then a headless and handless corpse is found in the Thames, what at first seems to be a complete coincidence to the general public hides a terrible plot, one which could shake or shape the future of the UK and a terribly finely balanced referendum result.
I loved this book, Andrew Marr's first fictional novel. Filled with political in-fighting, intrigue, nastiness, murder and twists and turns. It is exciting and obviously with Marr's political inside knowledge makes for a very real read and feels although a work of fiction like it could actually really happen.....well some of it anyway!
A great political fictional read. Loved it. A surprising ending and one that is very topical considering events in the news at the moment.
I loved this book, Andrew Marr's first fictional novel. Filled with political in-fighting, intrigue, nastiness, murder and twists and turns. It is exciting and obviously with Marr's political inside knowledge makes for a very real read and feels although a work of fiction like it could actually really happen.....well some of it anyway!
A great political fictional read. Loved it. A surprising ending and one that is very topical considering events in the news at the moment.
June 17, 2015
The author has called it a political entertainment (not a novel, so I wonder where this 'novel' idea in the title comes from) and that describes is fairly. I have hardly ever read anything just to entertain but this book I picked up in WH Smith in a small town when I was desperate for something to read and it certainly has entertained me. It is a complicated story of a cover-up just before the EU referendum in the UK with an array of one-dimensional characters whose fortunes go up and down as the story progresses. Not wanting to give the plot away, I would say the ending is weak, so is the beginning, but the middle is jolly good. I notice that critics have not liked the book much but I think it's quite clever if you are interested in current affairs. In places implausible but in others amusing.
October 11, 2014
I tried, I really did, but I could only get a third of the way through this lightweight Whitehall farce before giving up.
Given the author's credentials, I had hoped for a decent political thriller, perhaps even a House of Cards. But sadly, the author aimed squarely at the other end of Whitehall with this lightweight, knockabout and totally non-credible tale.
Very much a wasted opportunity. Avoid.
Given the author's credentials, I had hoped for a decent political thriller, perhaps even a House of Cards. But sadly, the author aimed squarely at the other end of Whitehall with this lightweight, knockabout and totally non-credible tale.
Very much a wasted opportunity. Avoid.
March 21, 2016
Just before Britain votes to stay in the EU the prime-minister dies, a few of the inner circle decide to hoodwink the public and attempt to cover up his death by, amongst many other things, using Rory Bremner to pretend to be the PM. If that sounds good to you then you'll like it if it sounds naff and stupid then you agree with me.
Andrew Marr also name checks his own morning politics show more than once and he calls Twitter, Witter, two of a myriad of annoying things in this book.
Andrew Marr also name checks his own morning politics show more than once and he calls Twitter, Witter, two of a myriad of annoying things in this book.
January 26, 2015
A disappointing read after enjoying Andrew Marr ' s factual works.
The style doesn't fit with his previous writing ability and often left me waiting for something to actually happen.
The story itself was disjointed and the chapters too short to allow any suspense to build.
Only finished it out of the principle of paying the 80p reservation fee at the library.
The style doesn't fit with his previous writing ability and often left me waiting for something to actually happen.
The story itself was disjointed and the chapters too short to allow any suspense to build.
Only finished it out of the principle of paying the 80p reservation fee at the library.
May 11, 2016
It was a good romp and a good page turner but got more and more ridiculous/unbelievable as you progressed - obviously it was meant to be unreal but almost got too silly at the end.
kept me entertained over the weekend and had nice insight into Whitehall so not all bad!
kept me entertained over the weekend and had nice insight into Whitehall so not all bad!
December 23, 2016
A completely brilliant take on Brexit and the politics of Westminster by an expert commentator. Marr's dry wit made me smile at several points, but I was chilled by the deceptions practised - it's not really like that, surely??
All I can say is - beware the nondescript grey man!
All I can say is - beware the nondescript grey man!
August 21, 2015
The story is quite far-fetched, but I like the colourful characters created by Marr.
October 20, 2018
Utter tosh,waste of time.
July 12, 2015
An enjoyable political romp with some knowing insights and topical themes.
November 30, 2017
god i hate the word Brexit, why has that become our go-to word for this sorry mess? (why is it a subtitle on the goodreads title of this book?)
Fortunately this book, written a couple of years before the real referendum and set in a fictional 2017, doesn't use the word Brexit. It's written as a prediction of what would happen. In some ways it didn't get it crazy enough, frankly, but in others it's pretty accurate. Currency loses value overnight, etc.
The book is a bit bloated, overall. It has way too many characters, no true main character or protagonist, so I couldn't really care less when some of the final-hour reveals came by (e.g., two characters turn out to be siblings, but why does it matter?). But too many of the plot threads are left hanging, at the same time.
It seems to be unsure how much it can take potshots at real-world figures. Rory Bremner, Jeremy Clarkson, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and the Milibands are namechecked (incidentally, Ed Miliband was the Labour leader for five years?? He made as much impression on me as a wet tea-towel...), but other characters are obvious ersatz versions of Theresa May, for example, and Twitter is renamed Witter. There's also a new King instead of Lizzy, and a Madame President in America - oh, if only!
But some aspects of it worked well. The central thriller plot works really well, building up subtly, and revealing about a third of the way into the book, which happened before all the other events that had been described up until then. I was shocked by the revelation and immediately hooked, and had to go back and check the previous chapters to find that they held together. I also was anxious on the eve of Theresa May's snap election this year and read through about half of the book that evening to calm my nerves a bit.
Fortunately this book, written a couple of years before the real referendum and set in a fictional 2017, doesn't use the word Brexit. It's written as a prediction of what would happen. In some ways it didn't get it crazy enough, frankly, but in others it's pretty accurate. Currency loses value overnight, etc.
The book is a bit bloated, overall. It has way too many characters, no true main character or protagonist, so I couldn't really care less when some of the final-hour reveals came by (e.g., two characters turn out to be siblings, but why does it matter?). But too many of the plot threads are left hanging, at the same time.
It seems to be unsure how much it can take potshots at real-world figures. Rory Bremner, Jeremy Clarkson, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and the Milibands are namechecked (incidentally, Ed Miliband was the Labour leader for five years?? He made as much impression on me as a wet tea-towel...), but other characters are obvious ersatz versions of Theresa May, for example, and Twitter is renamed Witter. There's also a new King instead of Lizzy, and a Madame President in America - oh, if only!
But some aspects of it worked well. The central thriller plot works really well, building up subtly, and revealing about a third of the way into the book, which happened before all the other events that had been described up until then. I was shocked by the revelation and immediately hooked, and had to go back and check the previous chapters to find that they held together. I also was anxious on the eve of Theresa May's snap election this year and read through about half of the book that evening to calm my nerves a bit.
March 21, 2017
After a spate of heavy reads, I was looking for a diversion and Marr's fictional debut that tries (but fails affectionately) at being House of Cards and The Thick Of It in equal parts, provided that diversion in spades. It is a messy little book that introduces the reader to (way too) many characters before it gets its little, ultimately disappointingly one-note Downing Street farce on the road, and it is made messier by a blurb that bundles a disposable satire into the promise of a thriller. Coming from the pen of Marr, there are endless nods and winks at the breed of characters pulling the strings in the corridors of politics and press and some really sneaky throwaway hints at attitudes and priorities that animate these people.
And it is a masterclass in how-to-introduce-a-character. I have been familiar with Marr's authorship from his pacy history tomes, each of which he brought alive by agile and crisp introductions to his historically alive cast; in fact, his history of the world constructed by serial leaps from one celebrated personage to the other makes for such a persuasive read because of his ability to carve a character with nuance. It was only natural he'd carry over this skill to full fledged fictional world and I was not surprised he did that adroitly. It's another matter that he does precious little with them in Head of State after constructing them; nevertheless all his sketches evoke their humanity convincingly, and quickly, without fail.
There are also mini cheap thrills gained from finding prescient turn-of-events while reading this in the present post-Brexit reality. I have to confess that once ousted, I did find myself rolling my eyes at the central event around which the whole unevenly toned farce is constructed, but Marr's and his editor's conviction that somehow this is thrilling almost convinced me to keep on reading. Almost.
And it is a masterclass in how-to-introduce-a-character. I have been familiar with Marr's authorship from his pacy history tomes, each of which he brought alive by agile and crisp introductions to his historically alive cast; in fact, his history of the world constructed by serial leaps from one celebrated personage to the other makes for such a persuasive read because of his ability to carve a character with nuance. It was only natural he'd carry over this skill to full fledged fictional world and I was not surprised he did that adroitly. It's another matter that he does precious little with them in Head of State after constructing them; nevertheless all his sketches evoke their humanity convincingly, and quickly, without fail.
There are also mini cheap thrills gained from finding prescient turn-of-events while reading this in the present post-Brexit reality. I have to confess that once ousted, I did find myself rolling my eyes at the central event around which the whole unevenly toned farce is constructed, but Marr's and his editor's conviction that somehow this is thrilling almost convinced me to keep on reading. Almost.
July 24, 2020
🚨NEW REVIEW🚨
Head of State by Andrew Marr
FAVOURITE QUOTE: ‘She began whipping him with her riding crop’
This book is absolutely bewildering and I urge you go get it! Let me give you a run down: its set in 2016 and there is a Brexit referendum. Clinton is President and Britain is on the cusp of political civil war. But then everything starts falling apart. We have people being whipped, chopped up bodies, murder, fraud, MI5 being the sh*t out of politicians. This is one eventful thrilller.
The best thing about this book is its sheer oddness. I have read things from this book which has been seared into my memory. I shall never look at a horse the same way again 🐴 And I never want to go near a fridge which smells 🤢 In places this book is simply crackers - but that makes me want to turn the page even more 👿
This book is a thriller - so we do have moments of high suspense. Some moments were scarier then others but all made me hold my breath. If you like Stephen King you would like this🩸
It made politics accessible and fun. I am a politics geek anyway but reading a fictions account coupled with whipping made this book an absolutely joy to read. Even if you don’t give a fudge about politics you will love it simply for being a story riddled with murder, sex and LGBT rep! 🏳️🌈
I must admit I wouldn’t say this is the finest literature on Earth from a technical point of view but it was a shed loads of fun! Marr is a political interviewer, so it makes you wonder how much of politics is like this behind the scenes? 😉
I would heartily recommend. 😊⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thanks for reading!
Head of State by Andrew Marr
FAVOURITE QUOTE: ‘She began whipping him with her riding crop’
This book is absolutely bewildering and I urge you go get it! Let me give you a run down: its set in 2016 and there is a Brexit referendum. Clinton is President and Britain is on the cusp of political civil war. But then everything starts falling apart. We have people being whipped, chopped up bodies, murder, fraud, MI5 being the sh*t out of politicians. This is one eventful thrilller.
The best thing about this book is its sheer oddness. I have read things from this book which has been seared into my memory. I shall never look at a horse the same way again 🐴 And I never want to go near a fridge which smells 🤢 In places this book is simply crackers - but that makes me want to turn the page even more 👿
This book is a thriller - so we do have moments of high suspense. Some moments were scarier then others but all made me hold my breath. If you like Stephen King you would like this🩸
It made politics accessible and fun. I am a politics geek anyway but reading a fictions account coupled with whipping made this book an absolutely joy to read. Even if you don’t give a fudge about politics you will love it simply for being a story riddled with murder, sex and LGBT rep! 🏳️🌈
I must admit I wouldn’t say this is the finest literature on Earth from a technical point of view but it was a shed loads of fun! Marr is a political interviewer, so it makes you wonder how much of politics is like this behind the scenes? 😉
I would heartily recommend. 😊⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thanks for reading!
September 26, 2021
Reading this in 2021, I knew the real events forecast in 2014 by its author. He imagines a future Brexit Referendum in 2017 and correctly predicts the result of the actual vote that occurred in June 2016. As we are now all aware, bitter divisions split the land, but the author’s other fancies for this UK of 2017 were wide of the mark. Britain with a king? The United States with a female president?
On Amazon the 5-star ratings at 25% barely exceed the 21% 1-star hates. It’s that kind of book. I blame the publisher for this weird and badly structured satire, lacking a good sub-edit, but I did chuckle at times. The jacket blurb is misleading because the story begins only on page 105. Until then it is clumsily written and consists of cynical humour more suited to the author’s career as a newspaper columnist.
The gripping plot is worth better synopsis for potential readers: The Prime Minister dies six days before the referendum. Government insiders keep this a secret, knowing that releasing the news will reverse their hoped outcome. How they manage such deceit is gruesome. And entertaining. As is Marr’s cynical depiction of Fleet Street, the monarchy and various British institutions.
On Amazon the 5-star ratings at 25% barely exceed the 21% 1-star hates. It’s that kind of book. I blame the publisher for this weird and badly structured satire, lacking a good sub-edit, but I did chuckle at times. The jacket blurb is misleading because the story begins only on page 105. Until then it is clumsily written and consists of cynical humour more suited to the author’s career as a newspaper columnist.
The gripping plot is worth better synopsis for potential readers: The Prime Minister dies six days before the referendum. Government insiders keep this a secret, knowing that releasing the news will reverse their hoped outcome. How they manage such deceit is gruesome. And entertaining. As is Marr’s cynical depiction of Fleet Street, the monarchy and various British institutions.
October 26, 2017
Some highly polarized views on this book on Goodreads, but I liked it; a satirical swipe at Brexit written some years before, the book's story is a device to examine politics from an insider's view. The plot itself doesn't matter a jot - many people here seem to have their Literal Hats firmly on, the meat is in Marr's all-seeing Westminster eye. The descriptions of the interior of Downing Street alone made this worth the £1 or so I shelled out at OxConcern and it's a Charity Shop win as far as I'm concerned. The machinations of real-life politics are laid bare here on the back of a fairly silly plot revolving around (SPOILER ALERT) the untimely demise of a Prime Minister during the run-up to the European Referendum. The book makes quite a few fairly bold predictions, most of which are more miss than hit; the Queen's snuffed it and King Charles reigns o'er us, the PM is a man, Boris Johnson was (briefly) P.M. and so forth. That Marr predicted the Brexit vote in 2013 or so is a fairly big feather for his cap, however... the little tidbits and pieces of trivia, history and facts sprinkled through the pages make it an enjoyably engaging read. Unless you cannot read between the lines.
September 14, 2020
Das ist echt schwarzer Humor, wie es ihn wohl nur in England gibt. Zwei Jahre vor dem Brexit-Referendum hat ein bekannter Politik-Journalist aufgeschrieben, was ein Politik-Insider sich zum Thema zusammenfantasierte:
Die Abstimmung steht auf Messers Schneide, was später tatsächlich so kommen sollte, und der den Urnengang vielleicht noch ändern könnende Premierminister ist unpässlich. Das führt zu Verwicklungen, Vertuschungen und Täuschungsmanövern, die sich rasch in Groteske steigern. Und das ist auch der Schwachpunkt des Buches: Der Autor treibt sein Spiel zu weit. Eine Satire muss immer die Idee "So könnte es passieren" verfolgen, anderenfalls gerät sie zum Klamauk. Diese Grenze wird in diesem Buch leider mehrfach überschritten, schade!
Denn es ist wirklich gut geschrieben und strotzt nur so von Einblicken in den Londoner Politikbetrieb. Eine Verfilmung könnte diese Mängel ausmerzen. Und ich bin sicher, es könnte eine großartige Karikatur des britischen Brexitgeschehen werden...
Die Abstimmung steht auf Messers Schneide, was später tatsächlich so kommen sollte, und der den Urnengang vielleicht noch ändern könnende Premierminister ist unpässlich. Das führt zu Verwicklungen, Vertuschungen und Täuschungsmanövern, die sich rasch in Groteske steigern. Und das ist auch der Schwachpunkt des Buches: Der Autor treibt sein Spiel zu weit. Eine Satire muss immer die Idee "So könnte es passieren" verfolgen, anderenfalls gerät sie zum Klamauk. Diese Grenze wird in diesem Buch leider mehrfach überschritten, schade!
Denn es ist wirklich gut geschrieben und strotzt nur so von Einblicken in den Londoner Politikbetrieb. Eine Verfilmung könnte diese Mängel ausmerzen. Und ich bin sicher, es könnte eine großartige Karikatur des britischen Brexitgeschehen werden...
January 19, 2017
Well, I enjoyed this. Partly because of its cynical humour rather in the footsteps of Christopher Brookmyre but also because it was written back in 2014 about the possibility of a Brexit Referendum in 2017 and, of course, that has already taken place. It would be spoiling things to say how Andrew Marr imagined the vote and its consequences so I guess I can't tell you whether he was right or not. The plot does not have the superb suspense of a Michael Dobbs novel eg The Lord's Day, but there are lovely gems such as:
'Like many MPS throughout the country at that moment he allowed the grave, complicated questions of economics and national destiny to swim away and bob dimly at the back of his mind, while instead he asked himself the one thing that really mattered: 'Is it too late? Can I row back with enough dignity ... and keep my seat?'
I didn't have any expectations. It gave me a break from writing about the world in 1209. Thanks, Andrew!
'Like many MPS throughout the country at that moment he allowed the grave, complicated questions of economics and national destiny to swim away and bob dimly at the back of his mind, while instead he asked himself the one thing that really mattered: 'Is it too late? Can I row back with enough dignity ... and keep my seat?'
I didn't have any expectations. It gave me a break from writing about the world in 1209. Thanks, Andrew!
October 31, 2017
In need of a holiday read, I grabbed this from the library, intrigued that it was written in 2014, and was set in 2017, days before the Brexit referendum. In some ways it didn't disappoint. Marr writes well, describing places, people and conversations with an eye and ear for telling detail. The plot was beyond believable. The PM dies in office, days before the vote, and his inner circle strive to conceal the death. But Marr has his finger on the pulse, and in the end, I was persuaded that this fantastical plot was far too close to possible reality for comfort. All the same, politics isn't my world, and though I enjoyed his writing well enough, it wasn't my kind of tale. Two stars? No, make it three. Just.
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