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"* 'The Benn Diaries, intensely personal, candid and engaging as they are, rank as an important work of historiography.' - Alan Clark, Daily Telegraph * 'Quite apart from the brio of illuminating a life almost entirely free of boredom (another rarity), the collected Benn has some critical patches of postwar history recorded hot.' - Peter Hennessy, The Times * 'Immensely readable and revealing' - Ben Pimlott, Sunday Times 'An archive of incalculable value' Ruth Dudley Edwards, Independent' An archive of incalculable value' - Ruth Dudley Edwards, Independent"
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'The best political diarist of our time' Financial Times
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20 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book will provide the reader with an insight into the minutae of how the Labour Party was run over the last 50 years, but from an interesting viewpoint. You see although the party was ostensibly socialist, for Benn and his fellow travellers, it was not quite socialist enough. To be truly socialist, the Labour Party was to transform British life to make it indistinguishable from, say, East Germany or Roumania. By this I do not mean that it had to be dominated by the Soviet Union or have a repressive state security apparatus (although those seem to be have been a prerequisite for being a socialist country in Europe in the period in question), but the way the country conducted itself in social, economic and political affairs, with committees and voting on everything, however trivial and every aspect of life requiring accountability or politicisation.
This diary documents Benn's move leftwards over the years, including his discovery that in his opinion Marx was correct, though being a Marxist did not seem to disqualify one from being in the Labour party.
It is a quite dry read. Benn is a pleasant enough person, it's just that his dream of a Socialist Britain is unpalatable. He achieved his aim of making the party truly socialist by the time of the 1983 election, which resulted in it being absolutely trounced by Margaret Thatcher at a time when inflation was high, as was unemployment and there had been serious rioting as well as resurgence in the anti-nuclear movement. The scale of the defeat was so huge that Labour did not get back in office for another 14 years and only after it had turned itself into a 'Conservative-lite' party with only a pink tinge of the full socialist beast it had been in the 1980s.
Benn is an obsessive diarist (presumably to ensure that he is never misquoted) and we see Political life on the left in great detail. He is also discreet. For all his iconoclastic zeal he does not take the opportunity to 'do a Samson' and reveal any state, political or personal secrets. So this is a sanitised behind the scenes look.
Having read this and also Alan Clarke's diaries I do prefer the latter. Clarke provides us with so much inner personal detail which is lacking here. For some reason the flesh and blood person is missing in this work. Benn does not have anxieties and worries on the same level as Clarke, who even provides us with insights into his bodily movements. But then no two people are the same. Benn lives eats and breathes politics. Clarke has additional interests.
The diary has been dictated on tape and transcribed so it's an easy flowing read. But it's not unputdownable so only three stars.
This diary documents Benn's move leftwards over the years, including his discovery that in his opinion Marx was correct, though being a Marxist did not seem to disqualify one from being in the Labour party.
It is a quite dry read. Benn is a pleasant enough person, it's just that his dream of a Socialist Britain is unpalatable. He achieved his aim of making the party truly socialist by the time of the 1983 election, which resulted in it being absolutely trounced by Margaret Thatcher at a time when inflation was high, as was unemployment and there had been serious rioting as well as resurgence in the anti-nuclear movement. The scale of the defeat was so huge that Labour did not get back in office for another 14 years and only after it had turned itself into a 'Conservative-lite' party with only a pink tinge of the full socialist beast it had been in the 1980s.
Benn is an obsessive diarist (presumably to ensure that he is never misquoted) and we see Political life on the left in great detail. He is also discreet. For all his iconoclastic zeal he does not take the opportunity to 'do a Samson' and reveal any state, political or personal secrets. So this is a sanitised behind the scenes look.
Having read this and also Alan Clarke's diaries I do prefer the latter. Clarke provides us with so much inner personal detail which is lacking here. For some reason the flesh and blood person is missing in this work. Benn does not have anxieties and worries on the same level as Clarke, who even provides us with insights into his bodily movements. But then no two people are the same. Benn lives eats and breathes politics. Clarke has additional interests.
The diary has been dictated on tape and transcribed so it's an easy flowing read. But it's not unputdownable so only three stars.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
That's it really.
Oh, apart from the fact that there isn't one. A catch, that is.
Loads of titles all under £1, and no hidden clauses or catches. I still don't understand how they make money out of this venture, and was understandably a little cautious.
I thought I'd give it a go. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and offer up my precious pound. I looked for the book I wanted, and it was there. lots of them were. I chose one that was "good condition", and ordered.
Ten days later, along it came, neatly packaged (1.50 for the post and packing, which I tought was very reasonable given the weight).
The book is indeed in good condition. The sort of condition you'd expect a new one to be in, when you were nearly at the end of it. All still seemingly too good to be true.
I checked my spam account - no noticable increase in spam. Great.
This is really good business idea, good for the environment and really, really good value. Many people offer "second hand", but not at this price.
I only hope they haven't pitched in too low to make it a viable business concern.
The proper meaning of 5 stars on Amazon.
Oh, apart from the fact that there isn't one. A catch, that is.
Loads of titles all under £1, and no hidden clauses or catches. I still don't understand how they make money out of this venture, and was understandably a little cautious.
I thought I'd give it a go. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and offer up my precious pound. I looked for the book I wanted, and it was there. lots of them were. I chose one that was "good condition", and ordered.
Ten days later, along it came, neatly packaged (1.50 for the post and packing, which I tought was very reasonable given the weight).
The book is indeed in good condition. The sort of condition you'd expect a new one to be in, when you were nearly at the end of it. All still seemingly too good to be true.
I checked my spam account - no noticable increase in spam. Great.
This is really good business idea, good for the environment and really, really good value. Many people offer "second hand", but not at this price.
I only hope they haven't pitched in too low to make it a viable business concern.
The proper meaning of 5 stars on Amazon.
5 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Tony Benn is a far better writer to read than Alan Clarke.Unless you are a Brideshead Revisited fan.And a Tory.He is genuinely caring and everyone he meets comes alive under his writerly eye.If you are a Conservative or business owner or a gangster or all three since there is no difference between criminality and the production of rubbish and the Conservative Party and business and gangsters then don't bother reading these diaries.You would be better off reading your fantasy daily newspapers ie Daily Telegraph,Times,Financial Times,Daily Mail.Where you can enjoy the full scale nonsense of their writers.In the real world Tony Benn is admired by millions of Britons.He is popular with the working class.Who make up 85 of our population.We live in a country where there is no representation and business is completely out of control.It is destroying our country under American direction.Our press is not free.It is owned by the bosses and is hostile towards the people.It is a gangster owned press.Tony Benn will open your mind and your hearts unlike the Tory's who are dead in their heads.This coalition government is acting without a mandate.Parliament has been subverted.It is full of crooks.Tony Benn educates and he enlivens.He is worth our attention.He is a democrat.He is a socialist.And without democracy and socialism we end up with all the wealth of the nation locked by the Conservatives in overseas bank accounts.Waiting for them when they flee these shores as they surely will in the years ahead.They are corrupt in their hearts.Tony Benn is a good man.The Conservatives are gangsters to a man.Not one of these villains cares about our people.They steal from us.We should arrest them all.
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