Product details
- ISBN 9781785909498
- Publication Date: 13 Feb 2025
- Publisher: Biteback Publishing
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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For half a century, Tony Benn was Britain's leading radical, defying the leadership of the Labour Party and staking out the moral high ground. His principled stands and spellbinding oratory commanded the respect of friends and foes alike. Benn was a strident voice for peace in a troubled world, notably as a key figure of opposition to the invasion of Iraq. His influence stretched even beyond the grave, with the 2016 Brexit referendum owing everything to Benn's promotion of referendums as part of his concept of popular democracy.
This comprehensively revised edition of Jad Adams's classic biography, updated with a new introduction to mark the centenary of Benn's birth, was written with unparalleled access to his private records. Chronicling the behind-the-scenes story of this remarkable man's rise and fall, and his triumphant return as the conscience of the nation, this acclaimed biography explores Benn's continuing legacy in 21st-century Britain.
Jad Adams has worked as a television producer and a Fleet Street newspaper journalist. He knew Tony Benn well for the last twenty-five years of his life. He was the last researcher to have full access to the extensive Benn Archive in Benn's basement office, prior to its being given to the British Library.
Jad's political books include Women and the Vote: A World History, Gandhi: Naked Ambition and The Dynasty: The Nehru-Gandhi Story. His television work has included biographies of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Nehru dynasty and Lord Kitchener. He has also specialised in work on the 'decadent' era of the nineteenth century, including Decadent Women: Yellow Book Lives; Madder Music, Stronger Wine: The Life of Ernest Dowson; and Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle. Jad has written two novels: Cafe Europa and Choice of Darkness.
He lives in London and on the Greek island of Leros. His website is www.jadadams.co.uk
