Momentum: The struggle for peace, politics, and the people

by Marjorie Mowlam

In this text Mo Mowlam tells the story of her time in government in her own words. She writes about the months leading up to the 1997 General Election, Labour's landslide victory and what had gone on as she underwent treatment for a brain tumour while working towards that victory. She tells the inside story of her time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The characters and chemistry of this time are analyzed with candour, warmth and humour that are Mo Mowlam's trademarks. After the Good Friday Agreement, Mo Mowlam was, somewhat controversially, moved to the Cabinet Office. Before the second landslide victory of 2001, Mo Mowlam decided to leave Westminister politics - this text tells readers why, and also tells of her hopes and plans for the future.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography

398 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an open and honest account of Mo's life leading up to the Labour victory in 1997, her time as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and her time following in the Cabinet Office. It is blunt and to the point and is written in the same style as Mo handled her political and private life. The insight into the politics and wrangling of the Good Friday Agreement show the complexity of the situation and the sheer effort required on the part of all those involved to make headway, although at times Mo's frustration with the system comes through (not that I blame her, it would've done my head in too). She is also brutally honest about the circumstances of her leaving N.I, which shows politics at its worst yet she still manages to sound a little positive and optimistic despite everything she had been through and been put through. It's a shame more politicians aren't as realistic and practical as she was.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straightforward, honest account of Mo's life and work in Northern Ireland, Parliament, Redcar and beyond. Just like she was, it's blunt, frank and compassionate; her style is so readable, I finished it in two days. She's brutally honest and open about the monumental challenges of the Good Friday Agreement, battling cancer, and being undermined by her own government. Throughout it all, she's able to sound hopeful and positive in her belief that bringing people in can find solutions. Mo was a real national treasure, and it's a shame we don't have many politicians like her today.

[Sharon Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t old enough to really understand Mos impact and recently I’ve become more aware of it. Had a hard time finding the book but was worth it. She was an incredible woman and it’s additionally interesting knowing now that she had cancer when the book was written.
It is very dense a lot happens in a page but she is a fabulous thinker and explains her processes so well. A book for anyone in politics and any woman with a job she wants to get done

[Jacqueline Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a girl from Coventry with a Catholic Irish Mum, a protestant Northern Irish Grandma and an English Dad, I have always been fascinated by 'the Irish question' and was by Mo Mowlam. I meant to read this book yonkers ago, better late than never. I liked her thinking and the explanations of complexities in talks and government.
My fascination continues.
We need more politicians like she was.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish she’d had more time to do more.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. Informative, entertaining and down to earth and was very prescient with issues that are still prevalent and unsolved today.

[Wendy Charlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t normally read biographies but this gives real insight into a principled and driven woman in a very male environment. I thoroughly enjoyed it

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the political memoirs of Mo Mowlam, detailing her time in Northern Ireland (including the time before government when she was Shadow NI minister) and afterwards in the Cabinet Office. She's a very good writer, with a personal style that still gets across everything that she wants to clearly. She pulls few punches and makes it clear that she was forced out of the Northern Ireland office while she still felt that she had a lot to contribute to the process. I was reading this just at the time that Sinn Fein announced that they were considering support for the PSNI and I thought how much she's still missed. I hadn't realised that people had wanted her to stand against Blair for leader of the party in 2001. That would have been very interesting. I wonder what Britain under its first woman PM would have been like?

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mo Mowlam was the British Minister for Northern Ireland who engineered the Good Friday Agreement that led to peace in Northern Ireland. Although I didn't really know much about her, I admired her because she succeeded where so many had failed, and she did all this while having radiotherapy for a brain tumour.
Still, I learned some useful things. She says you need to know your history but not live in it. You have to talk to both sides even on one of the sides is terrorists because there is no hope of resolving it otherwise. (Even if what they want is unreasonable).
There will always be those who benefit from the violence who will sabotage a peace process and you need to design an agreement that doesn't fall apart because of the actions of extremists. Timing is very important.

[Drew Pyke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I managed to get a free copy of this from Mo herself when I saw her at a talk in Hastings when I was a student (or rather she got the BBC to pay for it). This is probably the most honest account of the New Labour project you're likely to read. Some suggested that this book is a rant and angst ridden, but now it is common knowledge how Mandleson and Blair were all about power and everything to keep hold of it. You also get from this book the inside swoop on the Good Friday agreement and its major players: Adams. Clinton and Paisley. Her courage in taking off her wig during meetings when she was enduring chemotherapy must have been a great equalizer. I am sure she would have gone on to do greater things in international politics had she beat cancer.

[Mary Arkless]

It has taken me a long, long time, but I have finally finished this book. It overwhelmed me sometimes, perhaps because there are so many names mentioned, so many people involved in the peace process and everywhere Mo Mowlam went. Mo was an impressive person and politician and a cornerstone of the Good Friday Agreement. Her efforts lead to a great reduction in violence. I really respect her and wish her illness hadn't won.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I think I only understand the complex issues surrounding Northern Ireland marginally better than I did before listening to this audiobook, but I enjoyed Mo's honest and heartfelt account of her time in office nevertheless.

From what she writes here, she sounds like a fantastic, intelligent, down-to-earth and driven lady who really cared about her constituents and the people affected by government policies. A great loss to British politics and society.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my usual sort of read, but book club made me.
I had trouble taking this seriously, it seemed to me to be written in a chatty informal, easy to read way, that meant I didnt have to concentrate too hard on what was going on, meaning I never fully understood what was going on with the whole process.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The personal stuff is pretty boring, the rest doesn't give really interesting information. It could have gone more content wise.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

A little hard to follow. Irish politics. Brave and honourable woman.

how come all the politicians with integrity die?