Boris Johnson
The Rise and Fall of a Troublemaker at Number 10
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Boris Johnson
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Narrated by:
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Andrew Gimson
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By:
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Andrew Gimson
About this listen
'Entertaining...essential...peppered with brilliant observations' Tim Shipman, Sunday Times
Andrew Gimson, whose previous book Boris is the essential read on Johnson's earlier career, returns with a penetrating and entertaining new account of Boris Johnson's turbulent time as prime minister, from the highs of a landslide election victory to the lows of his car-crash resignation.
In Boris Johnson: The Rise and Fall of a Troublemaker at Number 10, Gimson sets out to discover how a man dismissed as a liar, charlatan and tasteless joke was able, despite being written off more frequently than any other British politician of the twenty-first century, to become prime minister. During his ascent, Johnson benefited from being regarded as a clown, for this meant his opponents failed to take him seriously, while his supporters delighted in his ability to shock and enrage the Establishment. He even changed the language of politics; a new word, ‘cakeism’, entered the English lexicon to describe his implausible but seductive claim during the Brexit negotiations that it was possible to have one’s cake and eat it.
In a series of brilliant vignettes, Gimson sheds light on the parts played by sex, greed, boredom and low seriousness in Johnson’s rise and fall, describes how Partygate fatally imperilled his prime ministership, and places him in a line of Tory adventurers stretching back to Benjamin Disraeli: disreputable figures who often blew themselves up, but who also could display an astonishing ability to connect with the British public.
What kind of a person is Johnson? What kind of a country would dream of making him its prime minister? And why did he fall? Nobody has got closer than Gimson to finding out the answers.
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What listeners say about Boris Johnson
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lynn Ball
- 16-01-23
Everyone should read this book...
...it's balanced, honest, informative and entertaining. It's Boris, warts and all. Read it and decide.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Malcolm Mills
- 29-11-22
Brilliant
This is a superb book. I have read all books published about Boris Johnson, but this is the best by a long shot. I enjoyed every word, read so beautifully, and will listen to it again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 19-12-23
Absolute yawn fest. Don't waste your time!!
The monotonous drone of the narrator and his obvious dislike of Jeremy Corbyn. Yawn!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Denzil Craig Coulson
- 10-01-24
A fair account of Johnson
A surprisingly balanced portrayal of Johnson comparing him to Disraeli, who was also a hated figure in the establishment but loved by many people. Gimson highlights the flaws of politicians as working simultaneously with moments of brilliance- surely are we surprised that politicians are imperfect? Just like the rest of us?
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Eva Davison
- 01-01-24
Nothing new here.
Very little new information about Boris Johnson. Written in a way that excuses his failings both as a prime minister and a human being.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- pa4020
- 28-01-23
I still love Boris!
Yes, Boris Johnson is controversial, he is marmite, but he’s a genius. He added colour, charisma, and damn right outrageousness. He lifted the British public to new heights of euphoria and hope, and although he ultimately paid the price of being too trusting of others, namely Cummings and Grove he was and still is an enigma in time to this great country. You will either love or hate this book. I don’t think there’s an in between. I loved it. My only criticism was the recording. the narrator pitch was sometimes too low, meaning I had to turn my phone up to hear what was being said then his pitch would go to high which blasted my eardrums! I love the passion of delivery, but my eardrums may have paid the price in the long term!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- J. Dhillon
- 09-12-22
Fabulous
Well researched and pithy piece of work. Really enjoyed the book. Very engrossing analog the complex world of Boris Johnson
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-08-24
Too dull to continue …
For such a fascinating man over such an important period it’s hard to believe how dull this book is … and read to make it even duller.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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- Adrienne
- 27-11-22
A list of implausible excuses
I really regret wasting a credit on this. There are no new discoveries to be found here. Anyone who follows the news will already be aware of the facts recounted here. Equally, if you’re looking for credible psychological analysis of Johnson, you will not find it here. This is a retelling of a tale already told but with a rolling, implausible collection of excuses for Boris’ lack of a moral compass. The introduction gives the impression that this will be a balanced account but it isn’t. Clearly Gimson is a great fan of Boris and he is often insultingly dismissive of competing views. Unless you are an adorer of Johnson, you will likely find this book perilous for your blood pressure.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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- Mark Lanigan
- 08-09-23
Pro Borris writer writes pro Borris book
So biased, it takes your breath away. No balance it paints the numerous flaws as slight eccentricities rather than moral failings. if you love Borris you'll love this book. if you want a balances book look elsewhere.
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