Out of the Blue

The Inside Story of the Unexpected Rise and Rapid Fall of Liz Truss

By: Harry Cole, James Heale

Narrated by: Emily C

Liz Truss’s journey from schoolgirl revolutionary to Britain’s shortest-serving Prime Minister

The Sunday Times Politics Book of the Year

A Guardian Politics Book of the Year 2023

‘An insightful and at times riotously entertaining account of the lengthy rise and abrupt fall of Britain’s 56th Prime Minister. What was intended as a prologue to her premiership is now a riveting political obituary in which every page drips with the seeds of both triumph and disaster. Cole and Heale have produced a meticulously reported account of Truss’s drive, impulsiveness, eccentricity and ideological certainty which reads like a warning from history. It has elements of tragedy but is frequently very, very funny.’ Tim Shipman

'Make sure you put your seat belt on. Heale and Cole put you in the passenger seat of the fastest car crash in recent political history. It's an unmissable romp through Liz Truss's long journey to the top, fuelled by ambition and espresso. The clues that foretold the extraordinary catastrophe are all there, as the authors reveal in gory detail how Liz Truss nearly had the last laugh, before finally, as her government imploded, the joke was on her.' Laura Kuenssberg

Despite being written off and mocked by even her closest colleagues, Liz Truss slowly but determinedly achieved her goal of taking over 10 Downing Street – only to instantly plunge her administration into chaos and announce her resignation after a record-breaking 44 days. How did she do it? And what exactly went so wrong?

With unrivalled access and insight, award-winning political journalists Harry Cole and James Heale provide the answers, drawing on interviews with Truss’s friends and supporters, as well as her worst critics and rivals, from Kwasi Kwarteng to Michael Gove.

Tracking Truss’s transformation from geeky teenage Lib Dem to Tory PM, with the inside scoop on her first – and only – month in office, Out of the Blue is the unmissable behind-the-scenes account of Britain’s shortest-serving Prime Minister.

©2022 Harry Cole, James Heale (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘Completely absorbing and, in places, astonishing. It is the story of a gigantic error, well told. And important lessons can be learnt.’ Daniel Finkelstein

‘Offers a masterful, behind-the-scenes perspective on a political farce that affected us all’ 4* Telegraph

‘An admirable, thorough and solid body of research’ Times

‘Its lively style and air of authority illuminates [Truss’s] failings … with some wit, insight and a well-informed ear for the telling detail’ Observer

‘An entertainingly written black comedy that reveals much about how we are governed’ The Critic

The Narration Is Perfect

The narrator did an excellent job bringing the book to life! Enjoyed listening to this. Though I do question some of the factual assertions made. Take the exact type of wine allegedly drunk by Liz Truss and her husband in the privacy of their own home as an example. It’s not a big deal in the scheme of things but has it been fact-checked? If you are not concerned about these things, this is a good book. I listened to it as an entertainment, not as a history lesson, and that worked for me. All in all, glad I chose this.