or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime free trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn more
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw [Hardcover]

Greg Hurst
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
RRP: £18.99
Price: £14.24 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £4.75 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.
Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want guaranteed delivery by Saturday, February 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details.

Frequently Bought Together

Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw + Menzies Campbell: My Autobiography + Free Radical: A Memoir
Price For All Three: £37.62

Show availability and delivery details

Buy the selected items together


Product details

  • Hardcover: 344 pages
  • Publisher: Politico's Publishing Ltd; illustrated edition edition (11 Sep 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 184275176X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1842751763
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 297,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Hurst
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Visit Amazon's Greg Hurst Page

Product Description

Synopsis

'Does it trouble you that every single politician to whom we've spoken in preparing for this interview said the same thing - you're interviewing Charles Kennedy? I hope he's sober.' - Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight. Charles Kennedy is an enigma. A talented strategist and an intuitive media performer and communicator - a rare combination - he became one of the best-known and most liked politicians of his generation, appearing on chat shows and seeming to break the mould of more conventional politicians. He led the Liberal Democrats during a remarkably successful period in the party's turbulent history to achieve the best result for a third party in more than eighty years at the general election of 2005. Yet throughout there were doubts. As a shy, introverted man Kennedy was often uncomfortable with his persona as a public figure. He faced criticism of inactivity whenever the media spotlight turned away from him. Kennedy has an extraordinary start to his career as a member of Parliament, winning his seat for the Social Democratic Party against all expectations at just twenty-three.

He was one of the few politicians to emerge with credit from the disastrous merger of the SDP and the Liberal Party in 1988 and was tipped from an early age as a future leader. His achievements once he became leader were considerable. He broke with the strategy of his predecessors to step out from Labour's shadow and to establish the Liberal Democrats as an independent and growing opposition force. As Britain prepared to invade Iraq, he became the first opposition party leader to oppose British military action since Hugh Gaitskell led protests against the Suez campaign in 1956. But nemesis was near. Persistent worries circulated privately about his health, with growing rumours of a barely managed drink problem. Slowly the secret of his alcoholism was shared among senior party figures. At first they tried to support him but, after a series of calamitous performances in public and private, confidence in him gradually drained away. The confrontation of Kennedy by some of his ablest MPs precipitated one of the most dramatic episodes in recent British political history as he tried to fight his critics before being forced to relinquish leadership of his party.

As a correspondent with "The Times", Greg Hurst was closer to the Liberal Democrats during Charles Kennedy's leadership than any other journalist. This biography is the gripping story of a talented, attractive occasionally courageous but tragically flawed man. Drawing on frank accounts from those closest to Kennedy, Hurst guides us through his difficult start as Liberal Democrat leader, his decision to oppose the Iraq war, the party's growing electoral strength and the events that led to Kennedy's resignation and the subsequent election of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader.


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insight..., 22 Feb 2009
By 
D. Howarth (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Charles Kennedy: A Tragic Flaw (Hardcover)
This book is a tremendous insight into the world of the Parliamentary Liberal Democrats, and of Charles Kennedy's political career. It is by no means a complete biography of Kennedy, nor does it try to be, but it describes the few pivotal weeks surrounding his departure in great depth and also looks at the roles played by other members of the Liberal Democrats. Fascinating reading.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback


Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges