Overview

This long-awaited, revelatory memoir from Britain's former Prime Minister offers vital insights into our extraordinary times Former Prime Minister and the country's longest-serving Chancellor, Gordon Brown has been a guiding force for Britain and the world over three decades. This is his candid, poignant and deeply relevant story. In describing his upbringing in Scotland as the son of a minister, the near loss of his eyesight as a student and the death of his daughter within days of her birth, he shares the passionately-held principles that have shaped and driven him, reminding us that politics can and should be a calling to serve. Reflecting on the personal and ideological tensions within Labour and its successes and failures in power, he describes how to meet the challenge of pursuing a radical agenda within a credible party of government. He explains how as Chancellor he equipped Britain for a globalised economy while swimming against the neoliberal tide and shows what more must be done to halt rising inequality. In his behind-the-scenes account of the financial crisis and his leading role in saving the world economy from collapse, he addresses the question of who was to blame for the crash and why its causes and consequences still beset us. From the invasion of Iraq to the tragedy of Afghanistan, from the coalition negotiations of 2010 to the referendums on Scottish independence and Europe, Gordon Brown draws on his unique experiences to explain Britain's current fractured condition. And by showing us what progressive politics has achieved in recent decades, he inspires us with a vision of what it might yet achieve today. Riveting, expert and highly personal, this historic memoir is an invaluable insight into our times.

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9781784707460

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Reviews

A compelling story, well told ... This is an important book that goes far to explain what made this enigmatic, solitary and intensely private man tick ... an example of that rare species in Britain: the intellectual in politics ... this book reminds us what a moderate politics of the left looks like and how much it can achieve -- Daniel Johnson * Sunday Times * Miles ahead of anyone you can name currently in office at Westminster. Brown thinks, and thinks profoundly. And by and large, over the last 30 years, what he has thought has turned out to be correct ... thrilling ... unexpectedly moving -- David Hare * Guardian * A protagonist of Shakespearian stature ... The chapters on the crash are fast, tense and riveting ... Like our times, Brown's life is complicated, contradictory, full of irritations, frustrations and even rage. But as this absorbing memoir makes clear, he is also a man who, in both his willingness and ability to tackle the most pressing questions of our age, towers over those who currently fill the political stage ... He is one of the giants of our recent political history - and this book explains why -- Jonathan Freedland * Prospect * Very good at describing the process by which an idea for reform is germinated, then shaped into a policy before being executed ... He writes very movingly about the death of baby Jennifer Jane ... You feel great sympathy and admiration for his tenacity ... one of the most formidable chancellors that Britain has ever seen -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer * In this fascinating book, Gordon Brown shares the experience and perspective of a lifetime spent in public service. Readers will come away with not just a deeper understanding of British and international politics but also the intellect and integrity of one of today's great statesmen -- Kofi Annan

A compelling story, well told ... This is an important book that goes far to explain what made this enigmatic, solitary and intensely private man tick ... an example of that rare species in Britain: the intellectual in politics ... this book reminds us what a moderate politics of the left looks like and how much it can achieve -- Daniel Johnson * Sunday Times * Miles ahead of anyone you can name currently in office at Westminster. Brown thinks, and thinks profoundly. And by and large, over the last 30 years, what he has thought has turned out to be correct ... thrilling ... unexpectedly moving -- David Hare * Guardian * A protagonist of Shakespearian stature ... The chapters on the crash are fast, tense and riveting ... Like our times, Brown's life is complicated, contradictory, full of irritations, frustrations and even rage. But as this absorbing memoir makes clear, he is also a man who, in both his willingness and ability to tackle the most pressing questions of our age, towers over those who currently fill the political stage ... He is one of the giants of our recent political history - and this book explains why -- Jonathan Freedland * Prospect * In this fascinating book, Gordon Brown shares the experience and perspective of a lifetime spent in public service. Readers will come away with not just a deeper understanding of British and international politics but also the intellect and integrity of one of today's great statesmen -- Kofi Annan Gordon Brown is a fiercely passionate Scot who is honest, straightforward and trustworthy. He was a consummate politician, and this is a must-read autobiography -- Alex Ferguson

Miles ahead of anyone you can name currently in office at Westminster. Brown thinks, and thinks profoundly. And by and large, over the last 30 years, what he has thought has turned out to be correct … thrilling … unexpectedly moving -- David Hare * Guardian * A protagonist of Shakespearian stature … The chapters on the crash are fast, tense and riveting … Like our times, Brown’s life is complicated, contradictory, full of irritations, frustrations and even rage. But as this absorbing memoir makes clear, he is also a man who, in both his willingness and ability to tackle the most pressing questions of our age, towers over those who currently fill the political stage … He is one of the giants of our recent political history – and this book explains why -- Jonathan Freedland * Prospect * A compelling story, well told … This is an important book that goes far to explain what made this enigmatic, solitary and intensely private man tick … an example of that rare species in Britain: the intellectual in politics … this book reminds us what a moderate politics of the left looks like and how much it can achieve -- Daniel Johnson * Sunday Times * Very good at describing the process by which an idea for reform is germinated, then shaped into a policy before being executed … He writes very movingly about the death of baby Jennifer Jane … You feel great sympathy and admiration for his tenacity … one of the most formidable chancellors that Britain has ever seen -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer * In this fascinating book, Gordon Brown shares the experience and perspective of a lifetime spent in public service. Readers will come away with not just a deeper understanding of British and international politics but also the intellect and integrity of one of today’s great statesmen -- Kofi Annan Gordon Brown is a fiercely passionate Scot who is honest, straightforward and trustworthy. He was a consummate politician, and this is a must-read autobiography -- Alex Ferguson I have always believed Gordon Brown to be a decent person who wanted the best for every person in our society regardless of their start in life. This fascinating book demonstrates his measured thinking, intelligence and humanity, which is what I look for in a prime minister -- Jo Brand After hearing Gordon Brown as Prime Minister speaking to a large international audience on eradicating poverty, a colleague from overseas said to me, ‘I wish we had politicians like that in our country.’ Just at the moment, so do I. This book will show something of the heart and the intelligence of a remarkable, compassionate and dedicated man -- Rowan Williams A momentous political career … he was undoubtedly the right person, at the right time, to deal with the financial crash of 2008 .. surprisingly generous towards those with whom he clashed repeatedly during his time in politics … when he was good, he was very good indeed -- George Parker * Financial Times * Brown will be remembered for the historic calls which he got right. Independence for the Bank of England, holding out against the euro and leading the global response to a frightening banking collapse. Who, among politicians of recent vintage, can make claim to a posterity as good as that? -- Philip Collins * The Times *

Author Information

Gordon Brown served as Prime Minister of Britain from 2007 to 2010, during which time he is widely credited with having prevented a second Great Depression in the wake of the financial crash. Previously, he was Britain's longest-serving Chancellor from 1997 to 2007, masterminding many of Labour's proudest achievements including the Minimum Wage, debt cancellation for the world's poorest nations and major reform of Britain's monetary and fiscal policy. Since leaving office, he has dedicated himself to charitable work and is now United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Infrastructure Investors Summit and a Distinguished Global Leader in Residence at New York University. He lives with his wife, Sarah, and two sons, John and Fraser, in Fife, Scotland. All Gordon Brown's proceeds from My Life, Our Times will go to the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory and Theirworld children's charity.

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