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Politics on the Edge

A Memoir from Within

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Politics on the Edge

By: Rory Stewart
Narrated by: Rory Stewart
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

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

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

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

‘At last a politician who can write’ SEBASTIAN FAULKS

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

©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Elections & Political Process Europe Great Britain Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Liberalism Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty Memoir Socialism

Critic reviews

There’s no denying that Rory Stewart stands almost alone among British politicians: he’s one of a handful who can actually turn a phrase. That talent is put to good use here — no other account of how Cameron Toryism curdled into May and Johnson is likely to be as evocative or amusing as this one
If you want to better understand the catastrophe that has been our government since 2010, or you just want to bask in Stewart’s beautifully formulated prose, read this book
A brilliant insider’s account of the Cameron-May-Johnson years
It is the sheer sharpness, originality and truth-telling grace of Stewart’s prose, along with the vital importance of his subject, that makes his new book a truly exceptional political autobiography, both a pleasure to read, and a vital wake-up call
Full of sharp observations and often funny… a portrait of a country where power is wielded by empty careerists, working in a broken system
Beautifully written... You glimpse how transformative government could be (Gaby Hinsliff)
A fascinating account of power, corruption and lies
Stewart writes beautifully and is brilliant at describing both the theatre and insanity of life in politics
[Stewart’s] memoir of his time in politics is valuable as a slice of entertainment, as an enjoyably catty takedown of his former colleagues, and as perhaps the most helpful recent account of the failings of the British state… a valuable contribution to the historical record
The moral and technical seriousness of this book should not be ignored: in his time in parliamentary politics, Stewart discovered a lot that needs mending—and he has plenty of ideas for doing so
All stars
Most relevant
I found this a fabulous book despite the fact I’m left of centre. If only our politicians who are still in politics could come across as people in their own right and talk to the general public as if they were individuals and having a conversation rather than delivering a message. So sad to see so many treating politics as being a career at the expense of their own constituents.

So good I immediately listened to it a second time!

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Rory Stewart’s performance is by a distance the best in my 30 something library of audible books.

I had to take significant breaks between listens. I had to listen to other things. But in the end I knew that I had to return and listen because to avoid it was to embrace an ignorance that would be a shameful.

It reminded me of a Stewart Lee gig, brilliant but horrible.

Tough but must listen

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A fantastic listen. Rory is scathing and supportive in equal measure, offering an unusually candid glimpse into our political class.

Fantastic look behind the curtain of politics

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Rarely am I so captivated by such a long piece of non-fiction. It feels like I’ve barely taken my headphones out in the last 48 hours.

Unputdownable

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Very well written and delivered exposé on the outdated mechanics of power in the UK. Following the sequential governmental pile-ups of the recent past, Rory shines a light on the characters and root causes. Highly educational. Hopefully the basis for a more informed electorate.

Explains a great deal….

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