Politics on the Edge

A Memoir from Within

De: Rory Stewart

Narrado por: Rory Stewart

The searing inside story of our broken politics from the former Cabinet minister and co-host of The Rest Is Politics.

Over the course of a decade, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.

Uncompromising, honest and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life. Instantly praised as a new classic, it is an astonishing portrait of our turbulent times.

BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

‘Rory Stewart’s Politics on the Edge digs deeper than most. As well as a fascinating insider account of the Cameron-May-Johnson premierships, it is a scathing portrait of our flawed political system and a “rebarbative profession” that, despite Stewart’s appetite for public service, chewed him up and spat him out’ GUARDIAN

‘Genuinely eye-opening…always riveting, often horrifying’
iNEWS

‘Hugely entertaining’
EVENING STANDARD

‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’
ALAN JOHNSON

‘An instant classic’
MARINA HYDE

‘At last a politician who can write’
SEBASTIAN FAULKS

* A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE FT, GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, TELEGRAPH, TIMES, OBSERVER, i NEWSPAPER, NEW STATESMAN, PROSPECT, CHURCH TIMES AND SCOTSMAN *

©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio

An enlightened reflection on the last 15 years of The UK’s withering parliament..

Reading this fine tale I can only end up wishing for what might have been… After the woof woof wa wa that was the buffoon Johnson’s premiership and the others that followed I wish the author had succeeded in becoming PM… excellent read if not a tad depressing at the last hurdle.

Politics, behind the scenes

It was great to hear in detail about the world of being a politician. It was well written and it was the addition of small details that made it all the more memorable and interesting. I particularly liked the section about him being minister for prisons, it was informative and thought provoking.

Engaging and depressing

I'm almost aghast that I actually picked up a book by a Tory type. But Stewart is one of the few, perhaps the only one, that I could bare to listen to. I'm left with a profound grief that he never became PM and a perspective that the country has since been trashed by all successive Tory leaders. The book describes his efforts to bring sense to the British political scene yet alas concludes that he utterly failed. Or rather, the Tory Party failed him.

God help the UK.

Great book even if youre not that interested in politics

Its hard not to respect and like Rory after listening to what hes been through. Great story even if youre not into politics. Some very good lessons on management and dealing with big issues.

The narrator.

Thoroughly enjoy Rory’s performance, really got a sense of his enjoyment and his frustrations throughout. Aspect I think might not come through if another had read it.

Strikingly metaphorical cover

Just brilliant from a brilliant engaging man. Confirmed all my worst suspicions on politics and politicians . Tragic really tragic that the good seem to have no place !

An important read for the times

Engaging, entertaining, thoughtful, and prescient. An eye opener for those of us not involved in politics and an urgent warning of the systemic dysfunctions at the heart of British politics. Well narrated by the author, whose account at times veers towards unnecessary self justification, but who overall comes across as a likable and credible witness.

Interesting and well written

I listen rest is politics podcast every week and this book gives interesting insight to Rory’s political life.
Highly recomended!

Very Good

It really does you no favours being honest and not crawling into the gutter. He would have been a great PM for the country if there had been a party to lead, sadly populism won out.

This book while clearly making (huge) efforts to be as kind as possible was a scathing indictment of the Conservative Party and British politics in general. Rory lifted the curtain in a very honest and reflective way. I would like to have heard more about his personal life and if this book hadn’t been autobiographical we would have heard more of his achievements.
Nicely narrated by the author but if you want voices or impersonations it’s the other Rory you want.
Somehow he got through the entire book without calling Boris Johnson a €ũnT, impressive!

Keir Starmer

A great insight into English politics

...which confirms the sad, trivial truth: successful politicians are unscrupulous liars, and the system of professionalized politics actively resists any honest outsiders. Nothing new under the sun.