The Time of My Life

by Denis Healey

The Time of My Life [Paperback] Healey, Denis

Genres: Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Autobiography, Memoir

610 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 1989

About the author

Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC, was a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

When one thinks of Denis Healey, one tends to remember a rumbustious character who never shied away from a confrontation, and whose troubled Chancellorship included inflation of 27%, interest rates of 15%, industrial strife and an IMF bailout. What is less familiar is the lover of poetry and theatre, the fluent linguist who broadcast on BBC World Service in French, Italian and German,who made deep and lasting friendships with so many people in so many walks of life around the world. In this splendid political autobiography, Healey attempts to put the record straight, and prove that there was more to him than the political bruiser that he was often taken for.

There is an element of self-justification in how he presents his time in office, but in his biggest battles history looks quite favourably on the outcomes he achieved. His first love was International Affairs, and one senses that the fact that the Foreign Secretaryship eluded him was a cause for regret. As defense secretary he oversaw Britain's withdrawal from unsustainable commitments East of Suez, whilst maintaining a nuclear deterrent with a degree of independence from the United States.

As Chancellor, he claims that if treasury PSBR forecasts had been accurate, he needn't have had to go cap in hand to the IMF - and indeed the loan was repaid by the time that Healey left office. After the traumas of 1975 and 1976 the economy had been dramatically turned round. By 1977, the Balance of Payments was positive, the pound was worth more than $2, interest rates had fallen to 5% and both inflation and unemployment were falling.Yet from that unnaturally propitious position, Callaghan's government persisted with an income policy too far, and the result was the Winter of Discontent. Healey is understandably scathing on the asinity and self-interest of Union chiefs such as Moss Evans and Clive Jenkins, who failed to show the leadership of their predecessors and whose dogmatism and lack of foresight indirectly led to twelve years of Thatcherism.One of the great pleasures of this book is its incisive pen-portraits - Jack Jones, Hugh Scanlon and Vic Feather are accorded deep respect, but his scorn for those implicated in Labour's implosion following their loss in 1979 is withering.

This great pleasure of this book is to accompany such a warm and engaging companion through his rise from a relatively humble background through Balliol and up through the ranks of the Labour party to the highest offices of state. His perspective from the inside of negotiations with the likes of the Americans on nuclear detterence, is eye-opening, his analysis of the events in which he was involved acute. Yet it is the characters that he has met which make this book special, many names with which one won't be familiar but all described with a warmth when deserved and a brutal dismissal when not. Everyone knows his description of Geoffrey Howe - who he liked and respected- from the House of Commons, yet not nearly as savage as his dismissal of his old foe Tony Benn in this book: "It is ironic that Tony Benn's ministerial career should have left only two monuments behind - the uranium mine in Namibia that he authorised as Energy Secretary which helps to support apartheid...and an aircraft [Concorde] which is used by wealthy people on their expense accounts, whose fairs are subsidised by much poorer taxpayers." Like the man himself, insightful, uncompromising but ultimately fair.

Taken from my blog http://roderick-random.blogspot.co.uk...

[Leonardo]

In his autobiography, the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time, Denis Healey, drew the lesson
that “you should never commit yourself in Opposition to new taxes unless you have a very good idea how they will operate in practice. We had committed ourselves to a Wealth Tax; but in five years I found it impossible to draft one which would yield enough revenue to be worth the administrative cost and the political hassle.

Inequality Pág.199-200

[Stephen Smith]

Dated but still interesting

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read though very technical in parts. Healey shines as a highly intelligent and able politician who would have made an excellent prime minister had events turned out differently.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was probably the best one I have read this year, and the best £1 spent at a second hand bookstall ever. The writer is someone I remember more as being impersonated and sent up, than as a politician, as such things didn’t interest me in the slightest up to, and probably after, the time that the book covers ends, about 1988 – 1989. There was also another point of interest for me in that Denis Healey was born and brought up in the area local to me. It is a story of high achievement, success and hard work, and the author manages to deliver this in a modest, self aware and graceful way. We read that Healey was a gifted and clever child, and sprints through his education securing a university place as though it was never really in doubt. He tells us about his interest in history, music, the arts and travel and does this in a way that makes the reader, or me anyway, join in with his appreciation of these things but also reminds most of us how little we know of these subjects. The story moves quickly along as there as so much packed in, and we are soon reading about his military service which was as a landing officer, involved in the logistics of getting men and machines off ships and into battle – which takes him to different countries and often into danger. This doesn’t stop him appreciating the beauty and history of the areas he works in and he maintains the interest of the reader throughout in describing this, and also in his insights and anecdotes about prominent WW2 figures. Throughout the book, we are reminded about his ideology which is based in socialism, and before the end of the Second World War, he is being courted by the labour party. From the 1940’s onwards the story is mainly about his time as Defence Spokesman and then Secretary for Defence, time in opposition and, of course, as Chancellor. Throughout this, he effectively explains and illustrates the complexity and effort involved in these roles to achieve any kind of success or progress. Again he tells us about the famous figures from the UK and other countries who he has dealt with and seems to regard most of them as his friends – he does not get on with everyone but his criticism, when it appears, is always balanced by reasoned argument and an understanding of why his enemies acted in the way they did. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was about the economies of Britain and other countries, and how the conflicting interests of politics, business, employees and a myriad of other groups and, more importantly, how effectively these conflicts are reconciled affects the success of the economies. Pretty heavy stuff, but whatever the readers political leanings, it does seem to make sense. I was sorry to get to the end of this book, it was a long journey through the author’s story but one well worth taking.

[Lee Scordis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a titan of the Labour movement and British politics.

Healey served in WW2, lived through the Attlee govt, served in the Wilson and Callaghan govt, served as Defence Minister during the Cold War, Foreign Minister and then Chancellor during the Winter of Discontent. He then played a very active role in the years Labour resorted to infighting in the 1980s and almost tore itself apart. His story ends just before the 1992 election.

A great autobiography for anyone looking at this period of history.

[Jim Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If anyone were to say they remembered Dennis Healey, they'd describe him as a significant right wing Labour politician who held two of the most important positions in government (as Defence Secretary and Chancellor) in the 1960s and 1970s. They might also mention his ability to come up with a good quip in a speech, or that he could have led the party in the late 1970s, or 1980s, and that his leadership in the 1980s might have prevented the split that formed the SDP.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, Healey had his issues. He was fighting large elements of the pacifist wing of his party a lot of the time as Defence Secretary, while the economy was circling the toilet while he was Chancellor of the Exchequer (interest rates rose to 15%, while inflation was north of 25%). You could argue that he kept the economy together in difficult times, but given the UK's storied history, this isn't exactly the most enviable claim to fame.

The book was a decent read. It was a bit self serving in places (he blamed others for the problems he faced a lot of the time), but its' biggest problem is that it's dated (it was published almost 25yrs ago). I doubt people will remember many of the people he talks about now, unless they're keen politics junkies who take an interest in that period.

[B Mur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book.

It is clear that Healey was a powerful intellectual and a giant of politics in the post-war era, right up to the end of the 80s.

This autobiography can teach one a great deal about the historical period through which Healey lived, as well as myriad other topics such as nuclear disarmament, economic policy and of course the arts, which Healey had a huge affection for in many of its forms.

The book is well-written and left me with an admiration for Healey’s work ethic and attitude towards public service.

[Paul Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book about a very interesting character. Worthy read.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book but showing its age

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A splendid autobiography.