Politics on the Edge

A Memoir from Within

By: Rory Stewart

Narrated by: Rory Stewart

Brought to you by Penguin.

#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

*A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE FT, GUARDIAN, SUNDAY TIMES, TELEGRAPH, TIMES, OBSERVER, i NEWSPAPER, NEW STATESMAN, PROSPECT, CHURCH TIMES AND SCOTSMAN*

The searing inside story of our broken politics from the former Cabinet minister and co-host of The Rest Is Politics.

Over the course of a decade, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister – before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.

Uncompromising, honest and darkly humorous, this is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life. Instantly praised as a new classic, it is an astonishing portrait of our turbulent times.

BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024

‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’ ALAN JOHNSON

‘At last a politician who can write’ SEBASTIAN FAULKS

‘Genuinely eye-opening…always riveting, often horrifying’ iNEWS

©2023 Rory Stewart (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

There’s no denying that Rory Stewart stands almost alone among British politicians: he’s one of a handful who can actually turn a phrase. That talent is put to good use here — no other account of how Cameron Toryism curdled into May and Johnson is likely to be as evocative or amusing as this one

If you want to better understand the catastrophe that has been our government since 2010, or you just want to bask in Stewart’s beautifully formulated prose, read this book

A brilliant insider’s account of the Cameron-May-Johnson years

It is the sheer sharpness, originality and truth-telling grace of Stewart’s prose, along with the vital importance of his subject, that makes his new book a truly exceptional political autobiography, both a pleasure to read, and a vital wake-up call

Full of sharp observations and often funny… a portrait of a country where power is wielded by empty careerists, working in a broken system

Beautifully written... You glimpse how transformative government could be (Gaby Hinsliff)

A fascinating account of power, corruption and lies

Stewart writes beautifully and is brilliant at describing both the theatre and insanity of life in politics

[Stewart’s] memoir of his time in politics is valuable as a slice of entertainment, as an enjoyably catty takedown of his former colleagues, and as perhaps the most helpful recent account of the failings of the British state… a valuable contribution to the historical record

The moral and technical seriousness of this book should not be ignored: in his time in parliamentary politics, Stewart discovered a lot that needs mending—and he has plenty of ideas for doing so

An enlightened reflection on the last 15 years of The UK’s withering parliament..

Reading this fine tale I can only end up wishing for what might have been… After the woof woof wa wa that was the buffoon Johnson’s premiership and the others that followed I wish the author had succeeded in becoming PM… excellent read if not a tad depressing at the last hurdle.

Great book even if youre not that interested in politics

Its hard not to respect and like Rory after listening to what hes been through. Great story even if youre not into politics. Some very good lessons on management and dealing with big issues.

The narrator.

Thoroughly enjoy Rory’s performance, really got a sense of his enjoyment and his frustrations throughout. Aspect I think might not come through if another had read it.

Politics, behind the scenes

It was great to hear in detail about the world of being a politician. It was well written and it was the addition of small details that made it all the more memorable and interesting. I particularly liked the section about him being minister for prisons, it was informative and thought provoking.

Engaging and depressing

I'm almost aghast that I actually picked up a book by a Tory type. But Stewart is one of the few, perhaps the only one, that I could bare to listen to. I'm left with a profound grief that he never became PM and a perspective that the country has since been trashed by all successive Tory leaders. The book describes his efforts to bring sense to the British political scene yet alas concludes that he utterly failed. Or rather, the Tory Party failed him.

God help the UK.