Take a photo of a barcode or cover
noondaypaisley's review
3.0
A depressing little book by someone who knows what he's talking about. I've taken off a few stars for the bullshit opinions about Thatcher not being a liar and some other nonsense about the lack of a problem with institutions, but for the most part this is a damming inditement of Johnson, the tories, the press and the world.
fahrenheit1987's review against another edition
3.0
The trouble with a book like this is that it is almost certainly preaching to the converted, confirming what they already believe. Other than that, readable and short.
bilgro's review against another edition
5.0
Who would ever have guessed the U.K. as a whole would be poisoned by the infighting of the Conservative Party?
Once home to some who had integrity and a sense of honour, Johnson’s regime culled any dissenting voices and introduced the Trumpian age of outright lies. Now donors and millionaire press owners are engaged in a race to raid the coffers. The U.K. has been mortally wounded by the knife of mendacity.
Oborne does what too many of his journalist colleagues have not: written a factual account of events with comprehensive footnotes. Painful truths for Britain to swallow. Buy a copy for any elderly relative still touting the idea the party has any sense of honour or decency.
Once home to some who had integrity and a sense of honour, Johnson’s regime culled any dissenting voices and introduced the Trumpian age of outright lies. Now donors and millionaire press owners are engaged in a race to raid the coffers. The U.K. has been mortally wounded by the knife of mendacity.
Oborne does what too many of his journalist colleagues have not: written a factual account of events with comprehensive footnotes. Painful truths for Britain to swallow. Buy a copy for any elderly relative still touting the idea the party has any sense of honour or decency.
jonnybrick's review
4.0
Polemic in the form of a catalogue of lies. I hope we look back on 2016-22 and laugh at our stupidity, but it seems endemic.
hadeanstars's review against another edition
4.0
I’m surprised to find myself reading a book by a noted Telegraph and Daily Mail journalist, and even more surprised to find myself agreeing with much of it. It was not an easy read, even if it is written in an accessible and easily digestible style, mostly because it lays bare the sheer scale of the cynicism of the Boris Johnson Conservative government. In truth however, and this narrative makes this conclusion abundantly clear, Johnson’s government has little if anything to do with traditional Conservatism. It is a new, and decidedly distasteful creation. A deformed chimera of neoliberalism and populism.
Even I, about as cynical an observer of Johnsonian antics as could possibly be conceived, found myself frequently shocked at the outright venality and mendacity of Johnson and his cronies. This most of all, made this book difficult to read. And witness how corruption at the head infects and corrupts the entire body. Hard reading indeed.
I can’t fault Oborne, even if he is a dyed in the wool Tory, and has sometimes unpalatable ideas. He has clearly tried to be fair, and at times he comes across as generous. I think that most of all, he is at a loss as to how things have got so bad, though he makes a brave attempt to explain it, and I cannot disagree.
At the end, he makes some suggestions as to how to respond, but these seem sadly redundant, just two years after publication. The zeitgeist has changed. We are in a post truth era, where even access to information is jealously guarded, and substituted by, not even ideological opinion, but outright editorial designed to facilitate political advantage.
As a result, I finished the book feeling it was more of a forlorn wail into the abyss of political expedience, than a call to arms, and consign this polemic to the sad but true category of narratives. It’s sad because it’s true, but that hardly means we should expect anything to change. The rubicon has been crossed and lying is just part of the background now. Thanks Boris.
Even I, about as cynical an observer of Johnsonian antics as could possibly be conceived, found myself frequently shocked at the outright venality and mendacity of Johnson and his cronies. This most of all, made this book difficult to read. And witness how corruption at the head infects and corrupts the entire body. Hard reading indeed.
I can’t fault Oborne, even if he is a dyed in the wool Tory, and has sometimes unpalatable ideas. He has clearly tried to be fair, and at times he comes across as generous. I think that most of all, he is at a loss as to how things have got so bad, though he makes a brave attempt to explain it, and I cannot disagree.
At the end, he makes some suggestions as to how to respond, but these seem sadly redundant, just two years after publication. The zeitgeist has changed. We are in a post truth era, where even access to information is jealously guarded, and substituted by, not even ideological opinion, but outright editorial designed to facilitate political advantage.
As a result, I finished the book feeling it was more of a forlorn wail into the abyss of political expedience, than a call to arms, and consign this polemic to the sad but true category of narratives. It’s sad because it’s true, but that hardly means we should expect anything to change. The rubicon has been crossed and lying is just part of the background now. Thanks Boris.
luthepagegoblin's review
3.0
Good information on Boris. Poor information to the level of glorification of politicians prior to Tony Blair
wintrovia's review
4.0
While I'm aware of the causal relationship Boris Johnson has with the truth, seeing it all laid out in this book really is quite damning. Only giving it four stars because it is a bit too short and a longer book could have allowed more possibility to explore the underlying ideas touched upon here. Still a very good book with an important message.
paulsnelling's review
3.0
This is an interesting book, but short and superficial. It doesn’t tell us anything that we didn’t already know. Oborne criticises Dominic Cummings’ blog while admitting that he’s only had a quick read. That’s the tenor throughput. It is a long newspaper article, basically, and the call to action is about the length of a long editorial. We await a fuller explanation of why our politics has taken such a disastrous turn. I’d agree though that we should all write the Speakers (of Commons and Lords) and the Chair of the Standards committee. They could have been much more challenging.
arewenotben's review
informative
fast-paced
3.25
Short primer on the lies of Boris Johnson and the degradation of British political life. Little new here for those who have British politics hooked into their veins but if you're not aware of Johnson's approach it's a useful polemic. I like Oborne as he comes from a more naturally Conservative position than many of Johnson's critics, and he's an entertaining narrator (although probably couldn't stand him for much longer than the 3 hours or so here). I think his conclusion and why Johnson was allowed to run slipshod across the great institutions was relatively weak, but it builds a strong case of evidence against the man. There's little here on Trump beyond some passing references and comparisons so don't delve in if that's your main focus.