Reviews

• I knew little of Clement Attlee even though I was familiar with the names of many of his contemporaries. I didn't even know when he was Prime Minister. Shocking admission when you consider the major impact he made in Britain after the war. I was quite hooked by this book which is a long read depending on the time that you can give, I feel that I learnt a lot and as a child of the late 1940s I suppose I was one of his post war boom babies that the NHS catered to in a formidable manner and subsequently, of course. In the beginning I was slightly irritated by some minor incorrect references to eg., So and so's Commander Officer, when it should have read Commanding Officer if referring to an Army situation. However, what it did show that the Labour Party has always been plagued by in fighting and disagreement from an early age. To have been Leader of the Labour Party for 20 years was a fantastic achievement whereas today you're lucky if you manage a few years in Office before selection of a new Leader. What was refreshing was that the Party in those days was not about "televisual" attraction, as the author puts it. Attlee was no pin up, whereas today a balding leader, no matter how good his rhetoric, fails the beauty contest aspect of our current politics. A fault I find in some former Labour and so called "socialist" leaders is that they are quick to embrace the establishment and receive honours which are, to my mind, incongruous with working class politics. TUC leaders (Len Murray for one) had been quick to do so; as Jones the TGWU leader in the 1970s was bold enough to refuse elevation to the House of Lords. That is the difference - class loyalty, but then again Attlee wasn't working class. I enjoyed the book and have learnt a lot including how we were driven to some degree by the Americans in shaping British post war politics. John Bew has filled a gap in my knowledge and understanding of British politics in the middle of he 20th Century.

• Very readable & with accurate & intimate historical data. Reading it for my own interest & pleasure.

• I originally knew of Clem Attlee through the mixed opinions of him in my family among the older generations who lived through the key events of his career. He was almost a mythological figure, such were the impact of his government yet I knew so little of him. This book provides a deeply thoughtful, informative and thought provoking account of the man and his deeds, which navigates through the complexities and political BS of his colleagues and commentators to develop a portrait of a real person working for what he believed in and succeeding beyond anyone's expectations. In worrying political times it is refreshing to read about someone who was driven by duty, love of his country and belief in social fairness to take up politics. How we could do with that now. The book itself is clearly laid out with the mission of the author detailed in the opening chapter. Arranged chronologically, the main content of the book details Attlee's early life and then his increasing involvement in politics, driven by a recognition of the problems of imperial Britain. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including most interestingly Attlee's letters to his brother Tom, a detailed portrait is developed showing Clem's development from local to international political action. The epilogue reviews the author's main thesis and spikes some of the wilder opinions of the man, especially drawn from the hard left. The sheer volume of detail could have been dry and boring but I enjoyed this book. The style is open and full of personal stories and asides that keep the reader interested. The political and social context of the events described is also covered well but not to the point of dragging the main thrust of the book down with too much weighty description, Overall the author succeeds in drawing a deep portrait of one of Britain's greatest leaders, yet one of its least well known. And one who saw so much change from Victoria to the swinging sixties. I was strongly affected by this story but also concerned that, in comparison to those of Clem's time, today's political debates and pre-occupations seem so bland, hollow and lacking in relevance to so many in our society.

• I really enjoyed reading about Clem Atlee. He was an able Vice-Prime Minister during WW2 and he did an outstanding job of instituting the national health service. Something that was very difficult to accomplish with the overwhelming debt that the UK suffered with following the war. Highly recommended.

• This was a very easy read and a highly informative book about a man often considered as insignificant compared to the massive personalities that were around him and yet achieved more legislative change than anyone before or since. The author's emphasis on how Attlee's focus on citizenship underpinned his socialist philosophy was especially interesting. Another underlying theme was how politician's having life changing experiences outside of politics modified their idealism. All three of these factors are relevant in the political world today. There are two areas that stopped me giving a full five stars. First, the author claimed that the Tolpuddle Martyrs were hanged whereas they were all deported but brought home early due to a public outcry. Like Attlee, I have also been to Tolpuddle and enjoyed an hour in the museum there. Secondly, British atom bomb development was only mentioned in passing and that was in the context of America refusing to share secrets after the war. As we learned that Attlee was quick to recognise the importance of the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction and in view of the subsequent development of CND from the ranks of the Labour Party, it would have been useful to hear more of the contribution of the post-war Labour governments to the development of the bomb. I was left with a conundrum after finishing the book, which left me convinced that Attlee was a successful party leader and prime minister despite his diffidence, brusqueness and total rejection of ego-based self-promotion. How can we avoid in this age of mass-media rejecting such a gem in the future?

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