Facebook Twitter Pinterest
£19.99
  • RRP: £25.00
  • You Save: £5.01 (20%)
FREE Delivery in the UK.
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Dispatch to:
France - Mainland
To see addresses, please
Or
Please enter a valid UK postcode.
Or

Have one to sell?
Sell on Amazon
Flip to back Flip to front
Listen Playing... Paused   You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more
See this image

Power and Pragmatism: The Memoirs of Malcolm Rifkind Hardcover – 19 Jul 2016

by Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars 4 customer reviews
See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions
Amazon Price
New from Used from
Kindle Edition
"Please retry"
£13.00
— —
Hardcover
"Please retry"
£19.99
£11.44 £9.00
Want it delivered by tomorrow, 23 Nov.? Order within 5 hrs 52 mins and choose One-Day Delivery at checkout. Details
Note: This item is eligible for click and collect. Details
Pick up your parcel at a time and place that suits you.
  • Choose from over 13,000 locations across the UK
  • Prime members get unlimited deliveries at no additional cost
How to order to an Amazon Pickup Location?
  1. Find your preferred location and add it to your address book
  2. Dispatch to this address when you check out
Learn more
Top Deals in Books
See the latest top deals in Books. Shop now
£19.99 FREE Delivery in the UK. In stock. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
click to open popover

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested In These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)

Frequently Bought Together

  • Power and Pragmatism: The Memoirs of Malcolm Rifkind
  • +
  • Kind of Blue: A Political Memoir
  • +
  • Speaking Out: Lessons in Life and Politics
Total price: £40.58
Buy the selected items together

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

  • Apple
  • Android
  • Windows Phone

To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.
Top Deals in Books
See the latest top deals in Books. Shop now

Product details

  • Hardcover: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Biteback Publishing (19 July 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 178590003X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1785900037
  • Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 4.3 x 16.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 166,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested In These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)

Product Description

Review

"Power and Pragmatism is the vivid and stimulating story of a British statesman, his values and his contribution to a changing Britain and a changing world over the past forty years." --Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State

"Malcolm Rifkind was in the top rank of twentieth-century politicians. Few saw events at closer quarters, and this thoughtful memoir shines a light on his life and times." --John Major

"So genteel and quintessentially British as to be oddly reassuring in these tumultuous times. […] Most readers will find more to get their teeth into as it begins to discuss more deeply foreign affairs and a series of disputes (on Europe, ­Anglo-American relations and the question of intervention) with which we are still dealing today." --New Statesman

About the Author

Malcolm Rifkind was born in Edinburgh in 1946. In 1974, he was elected as MP for Edinburgh Pentlands and represented that constituency until 1997. He was MP for Kensington & Chelsea and then Kensington from 2005 until 2015. He has served in ministerial roles under the premierships of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He has been Secretary of State for Scotland, Transport and Defence, and then Foreign Secretary. In 1997 he was knighted in recognition of his public service.

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars
5 star
1
4 star
1
3 star
0
2 star
1
1 star
1
See all 4 customer reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsMemoirs That Lack Detail And Excitement.
By Dr Barry Clayton TOP 500 REVIEWER on 22 July 2016
Format: Hardcover
Malcolm Rifkind is a highly intelligent and articulate man. Before entering politics he had taken a law degree at Edinburgh university, been a politics lecturer in Rhodesia and worked as a lawyer in Scotland where he was born in 1946. He practised at the Bar for four years. His family were Jewish and comfortably off. Malcolm also served on the EdinburghTown Council at the same time as Robin Cook. Aged 23 he became the youngest parliamentary candidate in Scotland. In 2005 he stood in the Tory leadership election without success. He has appeared on University Challenge and been a member of an overland expedition to India.

In this book he examines: why he became a politician, and his role in government. For 18 years he was a minister in the administrations of Thatcher and Major. Together with Ken Clarke and three others he completed the longest uninterrupted ministerial service since Lord Palmerston in the mid 19th century.

For almost 9 years he worked in the Defence Ministry and the Foreign Office. For seven years he was in the Scottish Office. In this account, Rifkind also discusses the future of the UK and our relationship with Europe and the world.

In the first part he spends some time explaining for the general reader the difference between a pragmatist politician and a conviction politician. He is very much the former. Of course, in reality the two types overlap a great deal. In brief, the conviction politician is more concerned with strategy than with tactics, with doctrine and ideology or set of beliefs. The pragmatist also has beliefs and values but he/she must always consider the possible consequences of actions taken. In the real world of Whitehall it is much more complicated than this.Read more ›
1 Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
2.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing read
By Gillian S. on 12 Aug. 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
I was disappointed with this book. I expected reflection and insight which it lacked.
It had plenty detail on posts held and influential people encountered who are now friends, but I do not feel that I know much more about the real person or about his views on his experiences.
Not an engaging style of writing. It felt slow and more a chore than a pleasure to read.
Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsI particularly enjoyed the way he draws back on his personal encounters ...
By Amazon Customer on 25 Aug. 2016
Format: Hardcover
A really enjoyable read; every word typed personally by Sir Malcolm himself. There was an entire chapter dedicated to his Jewish upbringing and Eastern European background. I particularly enjoyed the way he draws back on his personal encounters with some senior political officials at the time. Throughout the book, Rifkind expresses a very witty sense of humour, revealing some of the more amusing elements of life as a cabinet minister. The book also draws back on some of the more serious and distressing experiences. In particular, I found his account of the Lockerbie bombing disaster very moving. Some of the chapters are quite drawn out, but its worth staying with it in fear of missing out any interesting anecdotes between the lines. An excellent book written with intellectual honesty.
Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
1.0 out of 5 starsOne Star
By Splash on 8 Nov. 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Most boring, pish autobiography ever
Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

Look for similar items by category

Feedback