Very Informative and Enjoyable

I did not know much about Bercow and only remember him for one speech in the 1990's.

After becoming speaker, his neutral and fair posistion during Brexit votes made him noticed.

In this audiobook he takes you from his early days through to now. Whats really outstanding is the way he describes all the events with incredible clarity and most importantly sincerity.

If you feel that politics is all the same and there are no politicians with principle then you should take time to listen to this book.

I enjoyed book and will recommend it.

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AMAZING

interesting at every point
gives real insight
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to anyone interested in UK politics

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No holds barred

Whether you love or loathe John Bercow, you have to respect the blunt honesty in the way that he has approached the subjects laid bare in his book. He has not been afraid to promote his successes as a person, but neither has he been shy to admit to the errors that he has made and apologise for them. His views on his colleagues and government policies are certainly not to everyone's taste, but they are his honest opinion and quite possibly, that of many others too. This book will appeal to many who are interested in UK politics and the functioning of Westminster, and will possibly rile the 'Dyed in the wool' Brexit supporter. For those without blinkered political views in these strange times for the UK, this book should appeal - even if just to help give a little broadening of the whole picture. I had not been a massive fan of John Bercow whilst in the chair, though my respect for him grew with his handling of the Brexit fiasco. His book has allowed me to increase my level of respect for him and I hope that others will feel the same if they read/listen to this book. Many of those that have given the lowest review score, quite probably have either not read/listened to the book or were never in the mind to give a positive review due to hard bias towards the man and his methods! I would urge doubters to give the book a proper chance and to make their own options once completed, rather than to take it for read, that you should not bother! Controversial, but honest and overall an eye opener about the people that we vote in and trust to run the UK. It will make you think carefully about who you should help to elect next time around.

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Better than David Cameron's effort.

I found this an interesting listen. At no point did I find it a struggle. It is well delivered and touches on areas that are of interest from this interesting character. The peaks behind the veil of impartiality are also good and sprinkled throughout.

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Must be read several times

One of the most interesting books I have ever read. Certainly to be read multiple times !!!

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Much better than expected

I really enjoyed this audio book. whether you agree with his views or not you cannot argue with his broad knowledge and experience in the houses of commons. Felt I had a better understanding of our political system at the end of the book. excellent Mr Bercow.

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Unspeakable? No Way!

A candid, honest and enlightening read, would recommend to all, my teenagers and my father have all devoured it.

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A good account of Bercow’s personal and political life

Bercow admits to being somewhat long-winded even within the book. At times I feel he ought to have been more concise than he was but anyone who is a fan of Bercow knows not to expect that of him.

I deduced 1 star from Theresa May’s book due to her excessive attacks on Bercow, and I feel compelled to do the same to Bercow in response to his excessive attacks on May. Evidently, the two detest each other.

Other than the above, I feel this book is a good account of Bercow’s life and it covers both his personal life and his political career. I enjoyed this book very much.

Given all the above: a 4-star rating is in ordeeeeeerr.

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Brilliant informative book, superbly read.

In this book, John gives us an excellent insight into our democracy, our MPs on all sides and the processes within our Parliament. He opens up about his background and personality with bare honesty, showing us his journey to position of Speaker, the responsibilities of the role and highlights of his 10 years. Many of us have taken a newly found interest in our Parliament due to the contentious events of the last 5 years and John's book also enlightens us to the progression of how we got to where we are today!

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The eyes to the right and the nose to the left

Quite how John Bercow managed to get his memoirs published so quickly after leaving office I do not know. What I do know is that he comes over as a non nonsense, straight to the point chap that will be no surprise to anyone who has taken an interest in the soap opera that is the Mother of Parliaments over the last couple of year.
Many political memoirs are a bit dull and the reader wants to skip to the juicy bits and miss out all of the background galumph. I suspect John Bercow knows this and whether it was he, or one of his advisers, who suggested the book should open with a "prorogue" of what is the most fascinating time in British politics for several generations is, quite frankly, a genius. The opening salvo of this book is akin to watching the first 27 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, it is explosive and combative and emotional and compelling. When it is over, however, it does make you feel that you have been to a music concert and seen your favorite band open the concert with their "greatest hit" and it is a bit of a come down when Bercow follows it up in more conventional autobiographical manner by talking about his childhood and early political life. Many listeners or readers would possibly want to switch off at this point but Bercow's journey (why does everyone have to have a "journey"?) is neither conventional or traditional.
It was quite disturbing to hear of his formative political motivation of the Monday Club and Enoch Powell, I really was not expecting that. Bercow's politics have mellowed over the years and, unlike many who become more conservative (with a small c and a large C) as time progresses, Bercow drifted towards the centre ground and then to the left which seemed to infuriate his colleagues in the Conservative Party. He worked tirelessly to gain a seat in Parliament and managed to secure the safe Buckingham seat after countless attempts elsewhere. It was when he entered Parliament that he realised that he did not actually like or respect many in his own party and was more impressed with politicians from other parties. In this book he savagely appraises the merits (or lack of) of many high ranking politicians. He does not hold back and his description of Theresa May, in particular, is ferocious. He also mimics the hapless William Hague and brutally attacks every Conservative leader from Major though to Howard, IDS and Johnson.
Bercow's tenure as Mr Speaker will be studied and examined by those interested in our democracy for years to come and, in this book, he talks about the inner mechanisms and peculiarities of our Parliament and the work he did to modernise and improve it. He will be forever remembered in the context of the Brexit debate of which, unfortunately, will rumble on for years to come.

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3 people found this helpful