Pretty Straight Guys: Amazon.co.uk: Nick Cohen: Books

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

What's Left?: How Liberals Lost Their Way

by Nick Cohen

4.1 out of 5 stars (32) �6.99

Cruel Britannia: Reports on the Sinister and the Preposterous

by Nick Cohen

4.3 out of 5 stars (3) �9.00

Waiting for the Etonians: Reports from the Sickbed of Liberal England

by Nick Cohen

3.7 out of 5 stars (7) �9.09

The Retreat of Reason: Political Correctness and the Corruption of Public Debate in Modern Britain (Second Edition)

by Anthony Browne

4.2 out of 5 stars (20) �6.65

Londonistan [UPDATED EDITION WITH NEW FOREWORD]: How Britain Has Created a Terror State Within: How Britain Is Creating a Terror State Within

by Melanie Phillips

4.2 out of 5 stars (51) �6.99

› Explore similar items

Product Description

Review
"'Cohen's ridicule of New Labour is masterly.' Michael Portillo, The Times; 'In the competition for Britain's best left-wing polemicist, Nick Cohen wins every time.' Roy Hattersley, Observer"

Michael Portillo, The Times, September 2003
Cohen's ridicule of New Labour is masterly.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

government(1)

nick cohen(1)

politics(1)

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than 'Stupid White Men', 21 Nov 2003

By	A. Parsons (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pretty Straight Guys (Hardcover)

This is the best book I've read all year. Nick Cohen pulls no punches and is highly critical of the hypocricy of many politicians, journalists and businessmen. I read 'Stupid White Men' earlier this year and enjoyed it enormously, but I also found it essentially superficial, lots of stats but mainly just a big rant. This is different, plenty of ranting, but backed up by much more detail. Ever wondered what the Enron scandal was all about? Well Nick Cohen explains all in easy to read english (he should get an award from the clear english society). There's also the apparently dodgy dealings of the Dome, Hinduja brothers, Mittal, Eccleston, Worldcom and Arthur Anderson. Have you wondered why asylum seekers suddenly became the hate figures of the lowest common denominator press? Well look no further. There's also a bit about how we've been duped about crime by Tony's New right wing Labour party. But Nick Cohen's ire isn't reserved exclusively for the political right. He quite rightly ponders on the sudden support of the left for Saddam Hussein when he became America's enemy. As he correctly points out, it's the same people who complained when America supported tyrants (including Saddam Hussein), as are now complaining about America removing one. This is a well writen and excellently researched book and I urge everyone who plans to vote in the next general election to read it. Though who you'll vote for is a mystery to me.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very powerful attack on New Labour, 10 Nov 2006

By	Marshall Lord (Whitehaven, UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Nick Cohen is an intelligent left-winger. This book is a powerful critique of the New Labour government from that perspective. (The title "Pretty Straight Guys" is an ironic reference to Tony Blair's description of himself the first time he was caught bang to rights doing something seriously unethical.)

As someone who thinks of myself as centre right, I was surprised both by how often I agreed with Nick Cohen's criticisms of the present government, and by the number of issues on which this book convinced me that our nominally socialist government is actually well to the right of me.

While most of the book is an attack on the New Labour government, there is one section in which Cohen turns most of his fire in the opposite direction and breaks with many of those who will agree with the rest of the book: that is on the invasion of Iraq.

While Cohen does spend a few paragraphs on the incompetence and spin of the New Labour government and the Bush White House over Iraq, he excoriates those on the left who have lined up with extreme reactionaries rather than show any sympathy for the attempt to create a more democratic and just society in that country.

He is on fairly strong ground when he points out that the "Stop the War" campaign and the "Respect" party are a strange alliance of left-wingers with people who want to reduce women to property and string up gays from the nearest lamp-post.

Cohen is perhaps on weaker ground when he accuses those who did not support the war and subsequent occupation of failing to support liberal and democractic elements in Iraq.

Sometimes in life we have to make a choice between evils and it is quite possible to recognise that Saddam was a ghastly tyrant and murderer while asking legitimate questions about whether the enormous human cost of the war and occupation outweighs the enormous benefit of overthrowing him.

At one point Cohen suggests that "unless the Americans are criminally incompetent" more people would die through leaving Saddam Hussein in power than through overthrowing him. At the time of writing (November 2006) the American people themselves have just demonstrated what they think of Donald Rumsfeld's competence.

You may find it interesting to compare this book with a similar analysis from a more right wing perspective such as "The Rise of Political Lying" by Peter Oborne. There is a remarkable similarity of many points made by these books considering the extent to which the authors come from very different starting points.

Overall this book is pretty much a "don't miss" if you want to understand what is going wrong with our government.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incisive and intelligent, 25 Dec 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Pretty Straight Guys (Hardcover)

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It is a well written and sharply focused analysis of New Labour, in particular Blair's two terms of office as prime minister. It made me think again over the war in iraq, and also re-exposed many of the scandals which have beset New Labour. A recurrent theme is Blair's love of people with money. This book almost makes you hanker for the conservatives. At least they did not pretend to be something they weren't.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 7 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Labour'? I don't think so.
This is a witty and insightful gutting of New Labour. Some reviewers have apparently found it hard going. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Tony Walker

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written polemic
Justifiably angry writing. Mr Cohen chooses his targets carefully and does a thorough job explaining how and why they are the target of his scorn. Read more

Published on 11 Aug 2004 by hypocrite_lecteur

3.0 out of 5 stars Blair & Clique from an Old Labour Viewpoint
And not necessarily the worse for that. As Jon from Cambridge says, the style is difficult. It's as though the book is written for 'insiders' at the New Statesman, rather than for... Read more

Published on 4 Dec 2003 by T. MacFarlane

3.0 out of 5 stars pretty corrupt guys
First time reading a book on politics and I found it rather hard going. Nick Cohen's style is complex - maybe even elitist ... Read more

Published on 29 Oct 2003 by Jon

› See all 7 customer reviews...

Listmania!

Anti-Totalitarian Liberals: A list by Mugged By Reality
Best of The Hitch: A list by Mugged By Reality
Britain Today: A list by Barry Tighe "Author The Spawater Chronicles, Gieves to the Fore"

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Government & Politics > Countries & Regions > UK > Political Parties

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.

The Body Shop

Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

Make A Wish

Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set

But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

Treat Someone

With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates


Amazon Home

International Sites: United States \| Germany \| France \| Japan \| Canada \| China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon \| Fulfilment by Amazon \| Join Associates \| Join Advantage

Customer Service \| Help \| View Basket \| Your Account

About Amazon.co.uk \| Careers at Amazon

Pretty Straight Guys (Paperback)

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product details

Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

Customer Discussions

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Listmania!

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback

The Body Shop

Make A Wish

Boys Smell

Treat Someone

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

	68% buy the item featured on this page: Pretty Straight Guys 4.1 out of 5 stars (7)
	23% buy Waiting for the Etonians: Reports from the Sickbed of Liberal England 3.7 out of 5 stars (7) �9.09
	9% buy The Assault on Liberty 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) �6.99