Jim Callaghan's career in British public life is unique. Starting in humble circumstances, he went on to hold all the major offices of state: Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and, for three tumultuous years, from 1976 to 1979, Prime Minister. No other politician in British history has achieved this distinction. Callaghan's famous imperturbability never went unchallenged. During his time in office he had to wrestle with the Devaluation Crisis, rioting in Northern Ireland, entry into the European Community, and the `Winter of Discontent'. His relationships with Cabinet colleagues, trade union leaders, colonial nationalists and foreign heads of state were close and at times intense. In this absorbing biography, Kenneth O. Morgan sheds new light on Callaghan's role across the spectrum of international and domestic affairs. From the age of Attlee to the era of Blair, this meticulously researched study illuminates not only the life of its subject but also the history of the Labour Party's struggle to come to terms with the changes facing the nation at home and abroad. It makes indispensable reading for everyone interested in twentieth century British political life.
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David Armstrong, Reader in Sociology as Applied to Medicine, United Medical & Dental Schools of Guy's, King's, and St. Thomas's Hospitals, London, UK
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Having enjoyed Callaghan's own biography 'Time and Chance', I read this book with keen interest to find out more about a man who I felt had been let down by his own supporters. The book is compssionate towards its subject, authoritative with the events it deals with and adds considerably to recent Labour history.
It is observed by the author that James Callaghan spans the Old and New Labour ideologues. This is a good assessment. Callaghan strides the period of nationalisation, which turns to militancy, and a disorganised party and an unelectable cabinet. In the next few years of leadership 'Callaghan: A Life' covers Callaghan resisting the radicals, such as Benn and Foot, which starts the long transition to the New Party of Tony Blair.
All in all, a worthy study that captures the human side of the struggle one man had against a Union dominated party. Well worth reading!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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3.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
13 Jan 1999
By Clive Pacey
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
James Callaghans political life covers so much ground over such a period of time,that even at 750 pages this is a breezy read. It enscapsulates an interesting and significant period of Britains history and this well written biography neatly captures the feel of these times. Callaghan's premiership has often been perhaps judged rather too harsely with the memories of the final period, rather than earlier acheivements being to the forefront of most peoples minds. this attempts to be a revisionist biography and in truth the author is a little too reverential towards and uncritical of his subject.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Readable but lacks drama and context
14 Dec 2000
By Tom Munro
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Callaghan was in some ways a pivotal political figure. He not only lead the Labour party to a critical defeat which not only saw the conservatives dominate Britain for a record period but his loss of office led to the destruction of everything he stood for. That is the union movement, Britain's place as a manufacturing nation and the notion of the labour party being a working class movement.
The writer of the book has been absorbed by Callaghan's career and has come to like him (as did most of the British Electorate). His biography thus lacks a sense of the tragedy of Callaghan's life and the failure of his Prime Minister Ship and the desolation which resulted.
Instead we get a picture of a man on the right of the labour movement who was a decent man and tried in his political career to stand for what he thought was right.
A readable biography which looks to much at the man and perhaps not enough at the political context.
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