Boris Johnson
The Gambler
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Boris Johnson
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Narrated by:
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Harry Lloyd
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By:
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Tom Bower
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
Guardian Literary Highlights of 2020.
Sunday Times Books to Watch out for in 2020.
New Statesman Books to Read in 2020.
Evening Standard Thirteen Titles to Look for in 2020.
As divisive as he is beguiling, as misunderstood as he is scrutinised, Boris Johnson is a singular figure.
Many of us think we know his story well. His ruthless ambition was evident from his insistence, as a three-year-old, that he would one day be 'world king'. Eton and Oxford prepared him well for a frantic career straddling the dog-eat-dog worlds of journalism and politics. His transformation from bumbling stooge on Have I Got News for You to a triumphant mayor of London was overshadowed only by his colourful personal life, brimming with affairs, scandals and transgressions. His ascent to Number 10 in the wake of the acrimonious, era-defining Brexit referendum would prove to be only the first act in an epic drama that saw him play both hero and villain - from proroguing parliament to his controversial leadership of the COVID-19 crisis, all against the backdrop of divorce, marriage, the birth of his sixth child, revolts among Tory MPs and the countdown to Brexit.
Yet despite his celebrity, decades of media scrutiny, the endless vitriol of his critics and the enduring adoration of his supporters, there is so much we've never understood about Boris - until now. Previous biographies have either dismissed him as a lazy, deceitful opportunist or been transfixed by his charm, wit and drive. Both approaches fall short, and so many questions about Boris remain unanswered.
What seismic events of his childhood have evaded scrutiny? How has he so consistently defied the odds, proved his critics wrong and got away with increasingly reckless gambles? What were his real achievements and failures as mayor of London, what was really going on during his time as foreign secretary and why did he write two articles for the Telegraph, one in favour of Leave and the other for Remain? How have the women in his life exerted more influence than any of us realise, and why is his story ultimately one overshadowed by family secrets?
Based on a wealth of new interviews and research, this is the deepest, most rounded and most comprehensive portrait to date of the man, the mind, the politics, the affairs, the family - of a loner, a lover, a leader.
Revelatory, unsettling and compulsively listenable, it is the most timely and indispensable book yet from Britain's leading investigative biographer.
©2020 Tom Bower (P)2020 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Boris Johnson
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- P. A. Barrow
- 20-03-22
Very Good.
Really enjoyed this audiobook. informative and well written for those who only follow a little politics. Well definitely read/listen to this again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- pa4020
- 28-11-22
Love the insight
Unlike some comments this book offers the uninitiated, insight into the world of Boris’s; his early years, family life, his ambition, his unclear way of achieving it and offers hope to people like me!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JonnieDisco
- 20-03-22
All in all, a quite sympathetic bio
Unfortunately this biography is not going to give the Boris hater’s the ‘red meat’ they desire nor is it going to provide Boris fans with much to cheer about either. It does however provide an insight into the incompetence and ineptitude of government depts & quangos such as PHE ( Public Health England) during the Pandemic. I did enjoy it and after listening to Tom Bower’s excellent biography of Jeremy Corbyn am rather glad, despite all his many faults elected Boris instead.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lesley
- 15-11-22
Interesting and Informative
Enjoyed listening to this book.It gave a better insight as to how government decisions were made on the information provided during the pandemic and also
more insight into the process of Brexit.
Well read as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Peter
- 15-11-20
Boris Johnson a hollow vessel his true charector
I enjoyed this book it reveals the real Boris layer by layer . Deligating rather than managing , glossing over the details and endorsing cronyism instead of questioning and making decisions.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Matthew M.
- 27-01-21
Inaccurate representations of Ireland pitiful
A good biography, but as always Irish history is misrepresented as a political tool for a Britain that refuses to accept its weakened position in the world, and the death of imperialism.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Grumpy Squid
- 15-12-22
Does the author love Boris too much
You have to wonder whether Tom Bower is entirely impartial in this biography since he refers to any trade union leader as Marxist and hates the Guardian newspaper. There is detail enough for anyone to come to a conclusion about Johnson, for me he is utterly untrustworthy, immoral and, reckless of the likely outcome, has saddled us with the disaster that is Brexit.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Not American Real Reviews
- 24-02-21
Read this before you judge Boris
I found this very enlightening. It is unbiased; you get the warts and all, but you also find out a lot about what has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the public views Boris as a buffoon. He has a lot of enemies whose only way of conquering him is to slander him. The media have got on board, too. The book left me feeling like we’ve all been duped.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael Kallenbach
- 04-11-20
Excellent all round
This is a must listen to book. Despite some of the reviews saying TB is biased in favour of Boris I didn’t find this to be the case. It is well written and researched and I can imagine that Boris himself would have enjoyed listening to it all. While harry Lloyd is a v good narrator he got some of the pronunciations wrong. Pity that
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Yvonne W
- 08-12-20
long but easy read
very detailed intriguing insight into Boris and the government's inner workings.Sympathy for Marina is palpable.
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