My Life, Our Times

Britain's former Prime Minister and longest-serving Chancellor shares the remarkable story of his life in politics - a life of passion, principle and momentous change - offering vital insights into our extraordinary times. Over the last three decades, Gordon Brown has played a uniquely influential role in shaping Britain and its place in the world, bringing left-wing politics into the mainstream and handling the greatest economic transformation in human history. In this revelatory memoir, he offers a first-hand account of the interplay of critical decisions and global forces that have transformed the western world from the 1980s to the present. From the Thatcher years to the reinvention of New Labour and its rise to power, from the invasion of Iraq to the coalition negotiations of 2010 and the referendums on Scottish independence and Europe, he provides the context to understand historic events while placing us in the room as world-changing decisions are made. Alongside candid reflections on the successes and failures of Labour governments, his relationship with Blair, the challenges he faced during his own Premiership - including a heart-stopping account of the financial crisis of 2008 - and some harsh truths about Labour's current condition, he inspires us with a reminder of what progressive politics has achieved for our country - and what it might yet achieve for our future. He also reminds us that politics can and should be a calling to serve, not just the wielding of power. In describing his own personal journey - his upbringing as the son of a minister in Fife, Scotland, the near loss of his eyesight as a young man, the death of his daughter within days of her birth and his current work as a global leader for charitable causes - we encounter a person of deep principle and moral drive. Riveting, urgent and inspiring, this historic memoir shines fresh light on our recent past, explains the causes of our present and equips us for an uncertain future. It is vital reading for our times.