A Journey

Written in a congenial style peppered with slang and gossipy asides. At one moment he is the bloke in the pub. The next, he is Churchill – Ben MacIntyre * The Times *
This is a more honest political memoir than most and more open in many respects than I had anticipated. He is compellingly candid about how scared he was when he first became prime minister … He is unusually direct about his calculations, even when they don’t reflect well on him … He admits to stretching the truth beyond `breaking point’ to secure a settlement in Northern Ireland. Even when the lies are told in a noble cause, few politicians are honest enough to admit that they sometimes feel compelled to be deceivers – Andrew Rawnsley * The Observer *
He is by turns outspoken, provocative, unrepentant, often serious, sometimes funny – David Frost * Al Jazeera *
Tony Blair’s memoir is part psychodrama, part treatise on the frustrations of leadership in a modern democracy … The book’s broader purpose is to preserve his legacy, settling scores, justifying the war against Iraq, and mounting a defiant plea to his party to keep faith with New Labour … Blair comes across as likable, if manipulative; capable of dissembling while wonderfully fluent; in short, a brilliant modern politician – Lionel Barber * Financial Times *
Will certainly become a bestseller – Robert McCrum * The Observer *
This is substantial, thoughtful book and on the whole well written … My judgment is that he has for the most part set down honestly his version of events and attempted seriously to engage with his critics – Chris Mullin * The Times *
The fascination of the British public with Tony Blair is almost on the scale of his fascination with his own relationship to them – Dominic Lawson * The Sunday Times *
Really rather splendid – Jan Moir * The Daily Mail *
Prime Ministerial memoirs are traditionally stuffy, formal and guarded, as though written under police caution. Tony Blair’s are nothing of the sort … his memoirs are chummy, colloquial, impulsive and rash … it is this candour that makes the book so readable – Craig Brown * The Mail on Sunday *
As this book immodestly reveals, Tony Blair was, and remains, a remarkable influence on politics, both domestically and internationally – Menzies Campbell * Scotland on Sunday *

Tony Blair was born in Edinburgh in 1953. He became MP for Sedgefield in 1983, leader of the Labour Party in 1994, and was prime minister of the United Kingdom from May 1997 to June 2007.

Since leaving Downing Street, Tony Blair has served as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East, working with the Palestinians on behalf of the USA, UN, Russia and EU to prepare for statehood as part of the international community’s effort to secure peace.

In May 2008 he launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation which promotes respect and understanding between the major religions and makes the case for faith as a force for good in the modern world.

His Africa Governance Initiative works with leaders and their governmentson policy delivery and attracting sustainable investment in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

As the first major head of government to bring climate change to the top of the international political agenda at the 2005 G8 summit, Tony Blair works with world leaders to build consensus on an international climate policy framework.

In recognition of his debt to the North East of England, he has launched The Tony Blair Sports Foundation, to increase opportunities for young people to participate in sport.

He is married to Cherie Booth QC, and they have four children.

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