My Life, Our Times

By: Gordon Brown

Narrated by: Gordon Kennedy

Random House presents the audiobook edition of My Life, Our Times by Gordon Brown, read by Gordon Kennedy.

As former Prime Minister and our 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 achievements - the minimum wage, tax credits, Bank of England independence and the refinancing of the National Health Service - 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.

©2017 Gordon Brown (P)2017 Random House Audiobooks

Compelling Memoir

I found this book most interesting. The section of the book about his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair was the best part of the book. He was the longest serving Chancellor and managed to accomplish many reforms besides saving the UK in the 2008 recession and global financial crisis. He tackled the problem of child poverty and increased the old age pension. He blocked Blair from taking Britain into the Euro. He allowed the Bank of England operational independence. He increased the insurance contribution to the National Health Insurance. Brown also acknowledged his mistakes such as the 10p tax band. He also stated he failed to notice how reckless the banks had become prior to the 2008 crash.

Brown revealed his ugly side when discussing the conflict between himself and Tony Blair. He appeared to primarily blame Blair. In the section about his time as Prime Minister he appeared overwhelmed and unable to cope with crisis after crisis. I admire the fact that he was an idealist and went into politics to help the middle class.

The book is well written. When I read a political memoir, I except the person to present themselves in a possible way. Brown did that. Although in the last part of the book he came across that he was not cut out for the job as Prime Minister, but he was a great Chancellor of the Exchequer. Unlike some politicians he did not analysis his actions either positive or negative. I do appreciate the memoirs where the author is able to do an in-depth analysis of themselves, but I guess that is a fairly rare occurrence. Over all, I enjoyed the book and I learned more about the functioning of the British government. I must do a better job of reading about people in various countries.

Be prepared to spend some time on this book as it is twenty hours long. Gordon Kennedy does a good job narrating the book. Kennedy is a Scottish actor and audiobook narrator.