The Last Diaries: In and Out of the Wilderness
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This had a press date of 31 July. Jane did an extremely good event at the Winchester Festival with Ion on 10 July and she will also be attending the Folkestone Festival on 24 September. Ion did an interview with one of his local papers THE LYNN NEWS and the EASTERN DAILY PRESS have also said they will do apiece on the book. Ion has also done interviews with BBC RADIO WALES and KLFM. Reviews have been good: 'It's worth reading just for the pleasure of once more being in the company of this strange but mesmerising man.'MAIL ON SUNDAY'Much of the diary is taken up with Al's decision to leave the Commons in 1992, the publication of his earlier diaries and then his return to politics in1997. But Ion Trewin, the editor, has done a terrific job balancing this - it occasionally seems like ancient history - with Al's other concerns, domestic, motoring, romantic and, ultimately, medical as he faces his death with peevish courage'THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 'These journals cover Alan Clark's politicalcomeback as MP for Kensington and Chelsea five years after his retirement in1992 and end with a touching diary of his last illness by his wife Jane.'SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'this chronic hypochondriac proved brave and resilent when he became genuinely ill with the brain cancer that killed him'SUNDAY TIMES On theTV dramatisation of the diaries, John Hurt is being hotly tipped to play Alan Clarke. This will go out on BBC 4 first (most likely November) and then BBC2
Book Description
'With his DIARIES, he has written himself into the life of our times with a panache and candour that ranks him next to Boswell or Pepys' The Times
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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant and moving,
By
This review is from: The Last Diaries: In and Out of the Wilderness (Paperback)
The majority of The Last Diaries is Clark's typical brand of frank political observation and insight, focusing on the years from the fall of Thatcher, through his retirement, to his reselection as MP for Kensington and Chelsea in 1997. This part covers some of the most interesting recent history of British politics with the fall of the Conservative party and the rise of New Labour.The end of the book is the terribly harrowing portrayal of Clark's illness, as his hypocrondria, a feature of the previous two diaries, is suddenly vindicated. The portion his wife, Jane Clark, writes when Alan becomes too ill to write is one of the most poignant pieces non-fiction I've ever read. A superb complement to the previous two diaries, with the three in total comprising the most thouroughly readable, enjoyable and insightful political diary of the last 30 years. An absolute must.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting close to an enjoyable collection of diaries.,
By Jimbo (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Last Diaries: In and Out of the Wilderness (Paperback)
The third volume of Alan Clark's Diaries are as compelling as the previous two volumes and are the equal of, if not superior to, the original volume published in 1993. In and Out of the Wilderness covers the period from 1991, when the initial volume finished, up to his death in 1999, with the final pages comprising Jane Clark's account of the illness that killed him.The volume features much of the political intrigue that was present in Diaries: In Power - Clark details his final days in government before the 1992 general election, the fall-out surrounding publication of the volume of Diaries and the Scott Inquiry into Arms to Iraq following the collapse of the Matrix Churchill trial. Even better, we are treated to the machinations of life in the Commons after the 1997 general election, at which he had been elected as MP for Kensington & Chelsea. He frequently despairs of William Hague's leadership, and enjoys calculating how he himself could become Leader of the Opposition. What is interesting with hindsight is his firm belief that the Tories failed to make ground by not being right-wing enough, when the accepted wisdom is that it was a retreat to the right that made the Conservative party unelectable. Indeed, this is a debate that continues to this day within the party, especially following Cameron's failure to win an outright majority in 2010. We also receive insight into his turbulent personal life - the book starts with him enjoying an intense affair that leaves him contemplating leaving his wife, but as he renews his love for her we are treated to (possibly too much) information about his sex life, and the usual slew of indiscretions. It is unusual to read such a graphic account of the sex life of the over-sixties, and his accounts amount to more than mere novelty, and are most touching. What makes this a powerful volume is the account of his swift descent in illness, and Jane's account of his final days. Clark was one of life's hypochondriacs, but his illness was fairly swift once his brain tumour was diagnosed. The end of the book is exceptionally powerful and moving, and did not leave me dry eyed. He continued to write as long as possible, and we witness him consciously taking pleasure in his favourite pleasures for the final time as well as showing great concern for how Jane would continue following his death. Alan Clark was one of life's rogues, and whether you regard him as loveable or not is a matter of personal taste. What cannot be disputed, however, is that this is an exceptionally enjoyable volume that sees him confirm his place in the front rank of political diarists.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End of the Alan Clark Story.,
By A J Taylor (Cambridge, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Last Diaries: In and Out of the Wilderness (Paperback)
"I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS" 14th December 1992. The Last Diaries of Alan Clark are just as memorable, painful and touching as the first two volumes. He writes with such honesty, style and richness of intellect that they are compulsive and addictive even though we know the end result. Clark's place in history is assured, these diaries are a must for all fans of politics or just great diaries.
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