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Cameron on Cameron: Conversations with Dylan Jones
Just who does David Cameron think he is? In an engaging series of landmark interviews that will define the would-be prime minister ahead of the next election, Dylan Jones finds out. David Cameron is asking you for the keys to Number 10 - but is he a smartly dressed smoothie with all the right lines, or a gifted politician who instinctively understands the country's priorities? A throwback to the age when privilege brought power, or a dynamic alternative to a Labour Party that has run out of ideas? Award-winning journalist Dylan Jones set out to answer these questions in a series of wide-ranging and candid interviews that will define David Cameron ahead of the next election - and for years to come. A book about a politician for people who don't buy books about politicians, 'Cameron on Cameron' will, for many, settle the question of whether David Cameron has got what it takes to lead the country. What Cameron thinks may soon become what Britain does - and Jones teases out the details of Cameron's positions on the big issues. From the Iraq war to our friendship with America, from education to immigration, 'Cameron on Cameron' will make for an unprecendented view into a politician's world and a document of practical use in our democracy. From the Conservative Party's bouts of vicious internal backstabbing to Cameron's marriage to Samantha and their family life - 'Cameron on Cameron' lays bare the forces which shape the man who may succeed Gordon Brown before the decade is out.
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2008
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About the author
David Cameron
9 books26 followersDavid Cameron is a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 19, 2021
David Cameron, let us remember, was the one who brought back the Tories from the coma they had fallen into following the downfall of John Major, and where New Labour had firmly kept them for more than a decade. It is, in any case, under his leadership that the 'nasty party', those reforms had deeply traumatised a whole kingdom during the 1980s, became electable again. Give him credit where credit is due...
Intrigued, the journalist Dylan Jones interviewed him for about a year, before he was elected PM. Here is then the product of such meetings, reading like a long conversation where answers by the politician are interspersed by Jones' comments about news topics of the time.
He talks about his privileged education, his political engagement, his journey, but, also, his convictions, he who led the Tories more towards the Centre and whose goal was to bring about a cultural revolution as necessary (or so he claims) to society as the Thatcherian revolution was to British economy. Of course, he uses this platform as a drumbeat to nail his key concepts ('broken society', 'big society'...) while outlining his program (from public services to immigration)! But there's also space for his private life (the pages dealing with the death of his son, obviously, not leaving indifferent).
Cynics could have accused him to be here on campaign, and of course they would have been right. Personally, I tackled this as it purported to be: a chilled way to access the man, discover who, then, became PM. It was a nice read, accessible, allowing a close up 'conversation' with someone who changed the Tory party... That's simple enough!
Intrigued, the journalist Dylan Jones interviewed him for about a year, before he was elected PM. Here is then the product of such meetings, reading like a long conversation where answers by the politician are interspersed by Jones' comments about news topics of the time.
He talks about his privileged education, his political engagement, his journey, but, also, his convictions, he who led the Tories more towards the Centre and whose goal was to bring about a cultural revolution as necessary (or so he claims) to society as the Thatcherian revolution was to British economy. Of course, he uses this platform as a drumbeat to nail his key concepts ('broken society', 'big society'...) while outlining his program (from public services to immigration)! But there's also space for his private life (the pages dealing with the death of his son, obviously, not leaving indifferent).
Cynics could have accused him to be here on campaign, and of course they would have been right. Personally, I tackled this as it purported to be: a chilled way to access the man, discover who, then, became PM. It was a nice read, accessible, allowing a close up 'conversation' with someone who changed the Tory party... That's simple enough!
September 12, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the format it followed, with a brief introduction at the start of every chapter setting out the context.
The conversations with Cameron seemed frank and gave - I think - a genuine overview of his worldview and beliefs. It made for some interesting reading (in 2018) particularly with regards to the EU and Nick Clegg!!
What I found most interesting was the apparent transformation that took place from the beginning (where Cameron looked like a schoolboy compared to Brown) to the PM in waiting. You could feel the change in Cameron as you read and I think the contextual element at the start of each chapter, alongside the conversations, displayed this.
All in all an enjoyable and easy read - would recommend to anyone with an interest in politics!
The conversations with Cameron seemed frank and gave - I think - a genuine overview of his worldview and beliefs. It made for some interesting reading (in 2018) particularly with regards to the EU and Nick Clegg!!
What I found most interesting was the apparent transformation that took place from the beginning (where Cameron looked like a schoolboy compared to Brown) to the PM in waiting. You could feel the change in Cameron as you read and I think the contextual element at the start of each chapter, alongside the conversations, displayed this.
All in all an enjoyable and easy read - would recommend to anyone with an interest in politics!
January 2, 2023
This was a good book,
written over multiple instances.
Question reply style, so perhaps not what you might be expecting.
But it is good to read this if you want to get to know the David Cameron who 'was to be' and 'became' leader of the Conservative party. Especially now, over 10 years later, we have a distinct ability to compare Cameron with Cameron, and hold his ambitions to the flame of time.
I am pleased to have seen that for the most part, Cameron has stuck to his principles set out years before he became PM.
written over multiple instances.
Question reply style, so perhaps not what you might be expecting.
But it is good to read this if you want to get to know the David Cameron who 'was to be' and 'became' leader of the Conservative party. Especially now, over 10 years later, we have a distinct ability to compare Cameron with Cameron, and hold his ambitions to the flame of time.
I am pleased to have seen that for the most part, Cameron has stuck to his principles set out years before he became PM.
August 2, 2011
As someone relatively new to British politics it was interesting to look into the background of the upcoming 2010 election season. Not an especially well written book and the question/answer format was a little annoying. The greatest asset of this book is Cameron himself as the reader can actually see him honing his policy positions over the course of the year the book was written in. Wonder whether or not he will pull it off in March
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews