Comrade Corbyn

by Rosa Prince

Comrade Corbyn is a biography of the political career of Jeremy Corbyn, including his unexpected and successful run for the Labour leadership. The book also examines his early life in rural Shropshire, his support for contentious causes such as Palestinian freedom and a peace process in Northern Ireland.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW UPDATE

Lucky I’m not a gambling man or I would have lost a considerable amount of money on the referendum. Like 90% of the nation – including the people who voted LEAVE – I completely expected to wake up to no change last Friday. Instead, I woke up to the house falling down – Britain out of Europe, Scotland likely to become independent, prime minister Cameron resigned, and a full scale putsch against the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

This Labour catastrophe – has any major political party got itself into quite such an insoluble self-inflicted nightmare as this one? For all my non-British GR friends it goes like this –
The review below explains how far-left Jeremy Corbyn was propelled to the leadership of the party on rosy clouds of socialist joy 10 months ago. A great mass of people joined the party just to vote for him to be leader, totally crushing the other three candidates. They wanted a left wing leader after years of Tony Blair and they got one. After that the Labour MPs were saddled with a leader they distrusted. Okay, it probably shook down like – one third of them liked him, one third detested him and one third waited to see how he did. Ten months and one referendum later, there has been a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in Jeremy, due to his generally-perceived-to-be-complete-CRAPNESS as a leader. Everybody says – nice guy but couldn’t organize a teabag into a teacup. Even his greatest fans say this.

This NO CONFIDENCE vote was a surprising thing but the size of it was breathtaking – 80% of the Labour MPs have no confidence in him and wish he would go – go! – GO!!
However, 60% of the party members voted for him, 10 months ago, so he says that he’s staying – it would be a betrayal of all those party members! This is a right-wing putsch! A coup! A palace counter-revolution!

These two groups are in irreconcilable reality-bubbles – in the brains of one group, the MPs, Jeremy will lead them to utter ruin at the next election, they will be cremated. But the Corbynistas say au contraire – Jeremy is actually the leader the country has been waiting for, he will sweep to victory as unexpected as his own victory as leader…!
The horrible thing is that the MPs will now force a leadership contest which Jeremy will win, as the same party members who voted him in 10 months ago will do the same again. And then what do they do? All I can think of it that they should leave and form their own party. Which would be another disaster.

It’s chaos, is what it is. At some point, one of these competing versions of reality will be shown to be delusional. What interesting times we live in. Put your seat belts on, dears, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

***************

ORIGINAL REVIEW



Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Matthew 21:42

The plot of Comrade Corbyn is the best I’ve read since Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. I was breathlessly turning the pages even though I knew how the story was going to end. It’s like Macbeth or one of those, it’s not so much what happened as exactly how the hell it happened.
Classical scholars will immediately spot glaring parallels between Jeremy Corbyn, the unlikely new far-left leader of the British Labour Party, and Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Emperor Claudius as we know him better. You will remember that in 41AD after a psychopathic reign of four years the bloodthirsty tyrant Caligula was put to the sword by the Praetorian guards, and Claudius was found by them hiding in a cupboard. They dragged him howling out of his hideyhole and instead of ending his miserable life they hoisted him aloft and proclaimed him Emperor. Claudius, the idiot, the embarrassment to his family, with his st-st-st-utter. The eternal loser was now lord of lords, king of kings. Here now, Jeremy Corbyn, aged 66, after 32 years as a back-bench Labour MP, having never been in charge of anything, not even making the tea, never promoted to any office by any Labour leader (as if!), the far-left outcast, the perpetual protestor, the lonely orbiter amidst every lost cause of the last three decades, he was the one thrust roughly into the spotlight whilst the shiny smiles of the other bepolished besuited beheeled candidates wilted and drizzled down their long befuddled chins, and he was the one peering into the tv lights and saying

I, C-C-Corbyn, will tell you how to f-frame your laws. Profiteering and bribery will stop. The Senate will function only in the name of Roman justice.


ANTI-POLITICS

Jeremy Corbyn is Bernie Sanders is Donald Trump is Alexis Tsipras is Norbert Hofer is Nigel Farage. From the right and the left dancing and cavorting come the anti-politicians, because the people are so mightily sick of the actual politicians. You might think that the American version of Jeremy is Bernie Sanders, but it’s Trump, his political opposite. Because now, one of the two main parties in each country is saddled with a candidate for president or Prime Minister in our case that 90% of the elected representatives of the party don’t think has a prayer of winning, and plus, they hate him.
So the story of how the Labour Party dug its own grave in this extraordinary way is utterly fascinating to me and any other political geek and can be summed up in the old saying

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

GEEKING OUT

I realise that the ins and outs of this story will not be the source of goggle-eyed fascination to fellow goodreaders that it is to me. But it is a very interesting example of a politician who was able to reach completely around all the mainstream media – he almost ignored the press and TV, instead, his campaign consisted of Facebook, Twitter, and slogging round the country doing 99 speeches in 99 different towns, which, as the weeks rolled on, grew to be almost like rock concerts, with crowds overspilling venues and Jeremy having to go outside to speak to them when he’d done his speech inside.




The three other contenders



looked and sounded like political finger-puppets, especially Andy Burnham who reminded me of Joe 90



and Jeremy was cut from different cloth. One union boss said

I was listening to Liz and Yvette and Andy and I reached for the nearest sharpest object so that I could slit my wrists because the blandness and the sameness was something that was depressing. Then Jeremy arrived.

THE USUAL PARADOX OF MODERN POLITICS

You have to laugh – at first all that Jeremy aspired to was to get on the ballot paper and be one of the contenders. That would have been pretty good – he expected to come a poor last, if he made it that far. You had to get 36 MPs nominating you to get on the ballot, and in the interest of “broadening the debate”, and I think adding a left-wing guy to the line-up in order that the other candidates could point at him and say “we’re not like him, we’re sensible” , a dozen or so MPs nominated Jeremy who actually disliked his views and were never going to vote for him. They clearly had not the faintest idea of what was about to happen. They have been kicking themselves loudly and painfully ever since.

The Labour Party, like many others around the world, is caught in the usual paradox – in order to become popular enough to attain power it thinks it has to dilute its beliefs to such a homeopathic extent that it’s hard to tell it apart from its opponents. Tony Blair and his gang believed that if you’re in politics but not in power it’s a waste of time, it’s just a hobby. So they diluted and diluted, and the won three successive elections. But some don’t think like that. They want a party which will articulate their beliefs and stick to them and not get seduced or cajoled or corrupted away from them.

As an example, Jeremy Corbyn wants unilateral nuclear disarmament in Britain. This is a view that even most of his own cabinet fiercely disagree with! But the thousands who voted him in want that kind of politics – clear, moral, uplifting. The old guard, the professionals, know that they’re condemning themselves to donkeys’ years in opposition. Corbyn will never be prime minister – the idea is ridiculous, almost as ridiculous as him being Labour leader.

Tony Blair said if people said that their heart was with Jeremy Corbyn “well, get a transplant” *. One former Labour home secretary called the Corbynistas “barking mad” and another said that electing Corbyn would mean the party “had given up on being a serious party of government”. All that talk just encouraged them, and Corbyn won with an amazing 59.5% of the vote. He now can’t be got rid of.

This is an excellent book which you can tell was rushed out but the odd errors and strange verbatim quotes just add to the headlong careening of the whole thing. Recommended for all British political geeks like me.

PS - the newspapers don't like him much




* Jeremy thinks that Tony Blair should be put on trial for war crimes. I don't think they care much for each other.

[Maria Cullimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of what you may think about Jeremy Corbyn, this book goes a long way to showing that his dedication to politics and to improving the plight of people is unquestionable. Refreshingly, his journey into politics has no semblance of calculated career planning, something that no doubt helped him resonate with many voters. The clarity of his stance, which some may criticise as stubborn, also shines through in this narrative and his many years' parliamentary service mean that at the very least you know what you're getting with Corbyn. Whilst his slogan "honest, straight-talking politics" is certainly true, it would be wrong to say he has no agenda. However, his agenda isn't routed in gaining power and furthering himself but furthering the causes he has championed from the start. Whilst a balanced account, enjoyment of this book will most certainly be in line with readers' enjoyment of the final leadership result.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this book and I couldn't resist a smile when I was reading about Diane Abbott.
Quote. In a 1985 interview with She magazine she had said her 'Finest half hour' had been romping with a naked man in a field in the Cotswolds.
Back to my book and the next chapter. 😇
I have finally finished this remarkable story of a very remarkable man.
It really comes across in this book what a totally committed man Jeremy Corbyn is to helping the less fortunate in this country.
He sticks hard to his beliefs of a much fairer society for all not just the few. He is like a breathe of fresh air in politics and I hope to see him one day as Prime minister.
A man who really cares about the world and the people who live in it. He really is the man for the many not the few.
Very well written book that I enjoyed immensely. Recommended.

[Nick Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosa Prince's biography of Jeremy Corbyn contains a story about the Barking MP, Margaret Hodge, travelling to Corbyn's Islington constituency in the run up to the 2015 general election. After an absence of nearly three decades, Hodge notes "what really absolutely hit me was that this was the same speech he had made thirty years earlier". This story alone should give anyone pause for thought. In those thirty years the world had been fundamentally re-ordered, first by Thatcherism, then by the collapse of communism and then by 9/11. Each of these events had caused serious and prolonged introspection on the left. For Corbyn to have weathered such storms with his views unmoved smacks not of consistency or ideological coherence, but of rigidity and a lack of intellectual rigour.

Just such a man emerges from the pages of Prince's book. Corbyn appears as a man driven by instances of injustice, yet lacking in any coherent or thoroughgoing political or philosophical belief system. Corbyn is a party apparatchik, engrossed in the cut and thrust of the political fight, but lacking a world view to fight for. A rather unthinking man.

Is this entirely fair? Prince's biography is not the hatchet job many Corbyn apologists may like to portray it as, however she is hamstrung by a lack of sources about Corbyn's life before about June 2015. By her own admission Corbyn did not cooperate and discouraged others from doing so. As such for much of the book the only truly friendly source is Tariq Ali. Does this mean we simply don't know much about Corbyn's political development? Perhaps but perhaps not. Even now Corbyn's economic views seem to be transplanted from the more thoughtful John McDonnell, and his views on matters of war and peace seem close to reactionary, simplistic pacifism. What is more, the sources Prince does have, albeit often hostile or tepid towards him, record that the Corbyn of today has evolved little since his 20's. Nor is this a secret. That he 'has always believed these things' is touted by his supporters as a virtue.

Why is this a problem? Aside from being wedded to some ideas which are profoundly unpopular with the public, in the office which he now seeks, dogmatic ideological purity and a black and white view of the world is not an affordable luxury. From the safety of backbench obscurity Corbyn has been able to indulge his opposition to anything which is in anyway morally questionable, what would he do in a situation where there is no high road?

If Prince's book cannot provide answers to this question it does at least provide a gripping account of the Labour Leadership election and a forensic analysis of how the Burnham Campaign went from being odds on favourite to not even being a close runner up. Here Prince's skills as a journalist, and frankly her phone book, shine through. Indeed the best chapters of the book are those where Corbyn has either a walk on part or exists merely as an electoral menace which other characters must respond to.

There are a number of things about this book which are slightly annoying. The current fees of the schools Corbyn attended are cited even though he attended half a century ago, and almost every time Diane Abbott is mentioned her name is prefaced by the words 'former girlfriend' or something of the sort. Also annoying is the author's unwillingness to engage in any of the serious left wing debates which have occurred over Corbyn's lifetime. For example, his travels to Jamaica and Latin America are detailed without reference to post-colonialism, something which has clearly influenced Corbyn, likewise the Kilburn manifesto is not mentioned. Corbyn was noted as being a member of Tony Benn's dissuasion group, yet what was discussed is not touched upon.

When Prince is able to be a journalist the book shines, this is true not just of the sections on the leadership election, but in the chapters on Ireland the Israel-Palestine conflict, where Corbyn made some questionable friends. Perhaps more the book could have been like this had it not come out a mere four months into Corbyn's leadership.

[Mark Pedlar · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's written in a breathless, tabloid journalism-type style by someone who's not interested in or doesn't understand the underlying ideas and principles of left wing politics i.e. the ideas that animate her subject. Too many unattributed quotes by anonymous MPs with axes to grind so soon after the 2015 leadership contest. Too much repetition of negatives e.g. that Corbyn is "tardy" and McDonnell is "divisive." Overall, I didn't find the book particularly anti-Corbyn or pro-Corbyn and the author does describe quite well the developments in the Labour party post-1979 that led to Corbyn's triumph.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-researched and balanced book reveals that Jeremy Corbyn is cut from the same cloth as his supporters: raised in a two-parent family in a comfortable middle-class environment, privileged enough to go travelling before worrying about earning a living and convinced that giving the state much more power is the way to create a better society. Oh, and always taking the side of whoever hates us.

The moment most reasonable people should find themselves on Corbyn's 'side' is in the chapters dealing with the 2015 Labour leadership contest. Andy Burnham, especially, comes off dreadfully. We learn that he basically changed his ideological positions around so as to ensure he was left-wing enough to offer a viable alternative to Corbyn. Therefore, as the contest went on he was literally having to remember the latest thing he was pretending to stand for. The fact someone can be so lacking in grounded principles they can simply declare different beliefs depending on what's fashionable is disturbing. It's also disturbing such a person would even think to go into politics in the first place.

None of this, though, makes Corbyn the good guy. The choice for who runs Britain shouldn't be a robotic career politician or an unapologetic socialist. There are all kinds of other options we could have. The media and celebrity establishment just needs to widen the parameters of debate to allow it.

[Pinko Palest · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author states that she is not out to do a hatchet job, and she just about succeeds in that, but only just. She cannot quite conceal her dislike for Corbyn and his circle at times, her downright scorn even, but she does attempt to understand, especially by the end. She is quite good on Corbyn's opponents in the Labour party, but not too well-informed on Corbyn's friends. Plus she tends to give credence to several nasty stories doing the rounds. Still, this is a gripping read. Not as gripping and as well-informed as Akex Nunns' the Candidate maybe, but just about as good as Seymour

[Clive Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, easily digested, chronological journey of Jeremy Corbyn, from middle class rural schoolboy raised by socialist parents to hackneyed yet principled politician. A man who, by having principles based in humanism and being hugely popular with his constituency voters seems to have always been unpopular with the 'politocal class' Beit Tory or the centre leftism eschewed by Blair et al.

No major shocks in the story, but plenty of evidence supporting what we suspected.

The question is whether a man with staunch principles, motivated by a desire for the well being of his fellow man, could lead a nation such as the UK.

UNFORTUNATELY SUCH IDEALS ARE NOT ESSENTIAL TO THAT PARTICULAR JOB DESCRIPTION, unfortunately for us.

[Molebatsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comrade Corbyn by Rosa Prince is a quick read about how Jeremy Corbyn, a leftie outsider, shocked everyone by leading the UK Labour Party. The book digs into his middle-class roots, his years as a backbencher, and his sudden rise to power. Some say Prince focuses too much on his personal life and not enough on his politics, but she does show how his stubborn principles won over young voters .

The book gets lively when covering Corbyn’s leadership race, where rivals like Andy Burnham fumbled while he surged ahead. Prince calls it an "unlikely coup," mixing respect with doubt—she thinks he’s decent but maybe not cut out for top leadership. South Africans might like the bits on his anti-apartheid activism, though the book doesn’t dive deep into it .

Overall, it’s a fair take on Corbyn—not too harsh, not too soft. If you want gossip and Westminster drama, it delivers. But if you’re after heavy politics or his global solidarity work, you’ll need to look elsewhere .

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially purchased after his appointment as leader of the Labour Party. Read after the 2017 election when, despite expectations to the contrary, he led the party to win many more seats than predicted. In between times he had also successfully defeated an attempt to oust him as leader.

What this biography does is provide the background for his successes which have come late in his political life. Throughout the account Corbyn comes across as a principled individual who in many respects is the antithesis of the modern day politician. His unwavering support of minority causes, his refusal to toe the party line and unwillingness to compromise his beliefs have suddenly had mass appeal. Yes, this has been harnessed by a very efficient and probably a relatively young group of activists who have been able to use the modern media to broaden his appeal. As a consequence someone who has spent most of his career in obscurity on the left of his party has suddenly become electable.

For general readers I am sure this book will appeal more to those who are already Labour supporters and have an affinity with socialism. It was from this perspective that I enjoyed reading about Corbyn's background and rise to power. The account reinforced my understanding of his views and behaviours. Like many of his followers I have found his old style approach to politics based on a strong moral standpoint refreshing. It seems suddenly politics has become interesting again.

[Bob Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to be a good account of how Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the British Labour Party. I understand Jeremy Corbyn wishes to differ. What is interesting is the two disconnects that appear. Jeremy Corbyn is overwhelmingly support by the Labour Party membership but the reverse is the case with the Parliamentary Labour Party. If the the opinion polls are any guide in the wider electorate Jeremy Corbyn is political poison so disconnecting the Party with the electorate. I recently watched an interview conducted with some young women who are not from the political chattering classes. When asked about Jeremy Corbyn one women did not know who he is. How the Labour Party will sell Jeremy Corbyn to those outside the political chattering classes will be interesting.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

An astonishingly fast read for a political memoir! (3 hours)

The story of Jeremy Corbyn, possibly the most unlikely Party Leader in the history of politics, certainly in the history of modern politics. And right on the heels of Jo Cox's murder and on the cusp of the Referendum on Europe - British politics is never a dull scene! Though perhaps that's just me and perhaps it's also that I only left Britain 4 1/2 years ago, which made it easy to know what was going on in the course of the tale of his accession to the Party Leadership. Personally, I like him but even his greatest detractors admit he has integrity.

A fair examination of what happened last year, though still clear that the writer is pro Corbyn. If only Tony B. Liar had been indicted for war crimes. Shame.

[Michael Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful assessment of a most unlikely leader

this is a well-written analysis of Britain's most unexpected political leader. a testament to the values of hard work, loyalty and dedication to your beliefs. Prince shows how the combination of good organisation and enthusiasm overcame the turgid and tired Labour elite. She also points to the dangers of only preaching to the converted as the ecstatic support of political wonks is matched by utter apathy of voters. as with IDS this starts to look like an internal triumph that loses the support of voters indifferent to the activists culture. Nevertheless fantastic lesson in political strategy

[John Pollard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impressive how Rosa Prince put this together in such short time. She obviously has a lot of contacts as much of it is quotes from politicians. She remains fairly neutral on the actual politics, but Jeremy Corbyn comes out well as a person and the political process of electing a leader of the labour party is interesting.

[David Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tad underwhelming - a bit like the man himself. So little to say about his early career that over half of the book is dedicated to the 2015 leadership campaign which is where the book stops. It doesn't say much about what makes him tick, what sort of leader he will be and whether he can keep the Labour Party together given his own career as a serial rebel. Journalistic, but not revealing

[Gary Knapton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed history of Jeremy Corbyn from grandparents through to sons and from birth to the present date. Ignored by the media except to vilify, Corbyn is an unknown outside of the Labour left, making this book intriguing not just topical. Like John Major's autobiography, it doesn't feel like a political narrative. It's a good read.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't finish it. it could be half the size and would not lose any information. it presents lots of quotes and not much analysis.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instant disclaimer. I didn't vote for Jeremy Corbyn, nor do I agree with many, if any of his policies and ideas. However I do like to read political books of all major figures in government in the UK, which gives me a clearer idea of events they were involved in and their own ideas and motivations. In other words, whether I like them or not, I like to find out more about them and be better informed.

I can't say I'm a big fan politically, but I will credit him with a few things. He was right about the war in Iraq for sure, and the trouble it has caused for Britain and the rest of the world in increased terrorism. I think most of the world was badly misled about the so called WMD, and I very much regret believing Tony Blair on that information. Failing to find them was bad enough but it started me on a path away from voting Labour.

Anyway, I also credit him for sticking to his principle on all his political ideals. I might not agree with him on these ideals but he has never wavered from them in all his years in politics, he doesn't take the easy way out and vote the way he was told to, he doesn't change his policy based on what way the wind is blowing, unlike the current Labour PM. I imagine that he is a very hardworking, dedicated MP, as the author has stated. He comes across as that type of man. I respect that nothing shifts him from his position, however much it upsets his colleagues. It's known as integrity.

I did find the subject material interesting. It's not the easiest book to read because Corbyn did not cooperate with the author. As a man who is very private, I can understand that. The problem is that most of the people who cooperated with the book are people who disliked either the man or his policies, though most do credit him with being a decent man. It does mean that however much the author tries to be balanced (and she does try), it's never going to be a totally balanced book. We're not really getting as much from his point of view as I'd have liked.

I did find the part of the book where he was running for Labour leader to be the most interesting bit. It really was a farce within a comedy of errors from others in the party that led to him being one of the candidates. I remember the shambles at the time with several who didn't want to vote for him helping to get him the right number of ballots to run, only to be horrified when he then became leader! Crazy stuff...

Overall it was a decent read...been hovering between 2.5 and 3 stars here. Although there were bits I liked, the overall way it was all presented was a bit off-putting at times.

2.5...probably...

[Ken Sampson · Rating 3 out of 5]

[15 Feb 2018] Whatever your personal politics are-this book has a use, but it also has flaws. It is well written, easy to read and as far as you can tell well researched and evidenced. It gives an unauthorised account of Jeremy Corbyn's family, childhood, background and political struggle and ends just after his election to leadership of the Labour Party. As far as it goes it is a useful account and provides context to a life that most readers will have limited awareness of. The usual conflicts are laid bare, including the public school boy brought up in a Manor House becomes a left-wing militant socialist (some would say Marxist) in north London theme. From interviews, media and other sources a vivid description of his path emerges and is interesting and never becomes dull.

Rosa Prince says she tries to be balanced and there is evidence of real effort in this respect - in as much as a commendation is always followed by a criticism. There is a very obvious staying clear of much discussed, debated and contested conflicts. Rosa Prince describes his supporter as a sort-of bunch of inspired young people doing their best to help him achieve, she choses not to explore the notion that he was ruthlessly exploited by a group of extremely militant, highly organised and largely secretive 'professional' activists. In fact, the shocking thing is that the name that has emerged for this group 'Momentum' is mentioned fleetingly - just once. A book about the journey of Jeremy Corbyn that mentions Momentum once must, by definition, run the risk of being accused of bias.

The other thing that could have been improved, in my opinion, is further helpful definition of terms like 'left' 'leftie' etc - He is constantly referred to as 'hard left' etc but although I think I know, I'm not confident I could define it. The other area that wasn't clearly described was the role of the trade unions - we know that they were instrumental, but it didn't come across. The next and most obvious issue for this book- now - is that it is so out of date. The mass resignations, the vote of confidence, the errors of judgement, the poor publicity received for poor grasp of detail, the sense that his lack-lustre EU Referendum performance simply reflected his inability to be honest and to come clean about his 40-years euro-scepticism - while being forced to campaign to remain in the EU. He exceeded expectations in 2017, but he still takes Labour to defeat and continues to struggles in comparison with one of the most muddled Governments ever. He was also given a easy-ride in his support for the IRA/Hamas and other extremely unpopular causes. A practical example of bias I thought was his decision to ask questions at Prime Ministers Question Time sent to him from members of the public. This was described as bold and innovative, however it was also widely ridiculed for what a lot of people saw as a publicity stunt and has subsequently been dropped.

Its a useful informative and interesting book, but on balance is (in my opinion) relatively sympathetic to him.

[Rachele Deans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Corbynista and proud. All this book did was cement my admiration for a dedicated public servant who has only ever had the best interests of his constituents and those in need across the globe. Although this isn't technically official and even had Corbyn's sign off, there's a lot of secondary sources and comments from those who know him well and all that I got from reading this book, is that this country failed him in 2019. He's not perfect. He has flaws. But he is a principled, passionate and honest politician which in this day and age is a rarity.

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about a very divisive character.

Well written - it would be quite easy for a book like this to be a dry, fact filled drag, but this one is well put together and has lots of quotes. I also thought the book well balanced.

It certainly didn't change my views on Corbyn and confirmed my thoughts that John McDonnell is the power behind the throne.

Won't be voting for him!

[Sky Boswell]

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book. The cover shown is the original edition, I have ordered the updated version.

[Gareth Huw Snaith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and referenced. Eminently readable account of a genuine leader trapped as a politician in a failing, corrupt and venal democracy.