A Journey (2010) (edit title/settings)

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People edit see section history

• Tony Blair: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1997 - 2007. Leader of the Labour Party, 1994 - 2007.
• Cherie Blair: Blair's wife. Professionally she's a barrister and goes by Cherie Booth.
• Gordon Brown: Chancellor of the Exchequer under Blair, 1997-2007. Increasingly becomes one of Blair's biggest problems, as he tries to get Blair to step down. Succeeds Blair as Prime Minister, 2007 - 2010.
• George W. Bush: President of the United States, 2001 - 2009. Blair's ally in foreign affairs, especially after 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
• Bill Clinton: President of the United States, 1993 - 2001. A close ally to Blair, who followed Clinton's Third Way strategy to reform the Labour Party.
• Saddam Hussein: President of Iraq, 1979 - 2003. Is removed from power following the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
• John Prescott: Deputy Prime Minister, 1997 - 2007. Often seen as Blair's "union man" on the left side of New Labour.
• Alastair Campbell: Blair's Press Secretary, 1997 - 2000. Director of Communications, 2000 - 2003. Close advisor to Blair; one of his inner circle.
• Peter Mandelson: Add a description of this character.
• Jonathan Powell: Blair's Chief of Staff, 1997 - 2007. Blair's closest advisor.
• David Trimble
• Slobodan Milosevic
• Leo Blair: Son of Tony and Cherie Blair. Born while they lived in No. 10
• John Major: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1990 - 1997. Lost to Blair in the 1997 general election.
• Robin Cook: Former Labour Foreign Minister
• Dr. David Kelly: British scientific expert who killed himself after talking to the press.
• Euan Blair
• Gerry Adams
• Nick Brown
• David Blunkett
• Ken Livingstone
• Prince Charles
• John Smith: Leader of the Labour Party, 1992 - 1994. Died of a heart attack in 1994, prompting a leadership election, which Blair won.
• Jack Straw
• Jacques Chirac
• Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1979 - 1990. Prime Minister when Blair became an MP in 1983. Was a big influence on Blair.
• Ian Paisley
• Neil Kinnock: Leader of the Labour Party, 1983 - 1992.
• Martin Mcguinness
• David Miliband

Quotes edit see section history

• “On Gordon Brown: ''Analytical intelligence, absolutely. Emotional intelligence, zero.'”

  Tony Blair

• “It is true that my head can sometimes think conservatively especially on economics and security; but my heart always beats progressive, and my soul is and always will be that of a rebel.”

  Tony Blair

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• You have to speak the language in order to change the terms of the debate conducted in that language, otherwise you may be a fine example of a person who is right, but irrelevant.

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• I have a few rules about people I work with really closely. Work comes first. No blame culture. Fun, in its proper place, is good. Disloyalty has no place. Look out for each other. Stick together. Respect each other. It helps if you also like each other.

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• “Don’t forget: communication is fifty per cent of the battle in the information age. Say it once, say it twice and keep on saying it, and when you’ve finished, you’ll know you’ve still not said it enough.”

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• But all progressive movements have to beware their own success. The progress they make reinvents the society they work in, and they must in turn reinvent themselves to keep up, otherwise they become hollow echoes from a once loud, strong voice, reverberating still, but to little effect.

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• change brings opposition, and opposition is much easier to advocate than change.

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• Religion starts with values that are born of a view of humankind. Politics starts with an examination of society and the means of changing it. Of course politics is about values; and religion is often about changing society. But you start from a different place.

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• Fear makes you calculate and calculation can sometimes save you (though over-calculation finishes you off); for those who don’t calculate at all but go headlong, the risk can be foolhardy and lead to downfall.

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• The moment you decide, you divide. However, I would calculate the upset, calibrate it, understand its dimensions, assess its magnitude, ameliorate its consequences. And so I got over the surprise of the onslaught and became used to the derision, began to develop the carapace of near indifference to dispute that is so dangerous in a leader yet so necessary for survival.

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• I learned how to disarm an opponent as well as blast them. They get angry; you get mild. They go over the top; you become a soothing voice of reason. They insult you; you look at them not with resentment, but pity. Under attack, you have to look directly at them, study their faces, your eyes fixed on theirs rather than rolling with anxiety.

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• But the real test of leadership—amongst all the tests of policy, judgement, politics and ability—is whether, in the final analysis, you put the country first. I don’t mean that you do something people agree with or even what is objectively right, if there is such a thing in politics. I mean that you are, ultimately, prepared to put what you perceive to be the common good of the nation before your own political self. It is the supreme test. Very few leaders pass it. Each of these presidents does and for a reason not connected simply to them.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Kosovo: In the Balkans, and the site for ethnic cleansing carried out by Slobodan Milosevic in the late 1990s.
• Iraq: Location of one of the three big wars that dominated Blair's time in office. Post 9/11/2001, Blair partnered with the USA to fight terrorism in general, and to remove Saddam Hussein specifically.
• Afghanistan: Location of one of the three big wars that dominated Blair's time in office.
• Europe
• Britain
• Uk
• Northern Ireland
• London
• Downing Street
• Islam
• America
• Israel
• Iran
• Africa
• France
• China
• Basra
• Baghdad
• Middle East
• Russia
• Scotland
• India
• Germany
• Derry
• Lebanon
• Sinn Fein
• Spain
• Turkey
• Palestine
• Paris
• New York
• Pakistan
• Washington
• Edinburgh
• Singapore
• Opposition
• Sedgefield
• United Kingdom
• Islington
• England
• Gaza
• Brussels
• Belfast
• Bosnia
• White House
• Chechnya
• Italy

Organizations edit see section history

• Labour Party: Tony Blair's political party within the British parliament.
• United Nations (UN): British troops were part of UN peace-keeping forces in the Middle East.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Labour Party: Founded in 1900 on the ideology of Democratic Socialism, they are a centre-left political party in Great Britain. Their European affiliation is the Party of European Socialists.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Politics and Government: Describe this theme.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Tony Blair (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: DA591 .B56 A3 2010
• Dewey: 941.085/9092 B 22

Notes for Parents edit see section history

The complexity of the topics involved and events discussed are on an adult level of comprehension.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Biographies & Memoirs › Leaders & Notable People › U.K. Prime Ministers › Blair, Tony
• Books › History › Military › Iraq War
• Books › History › Europe › England › 20th Century
• Books › Nonfiction › Politics › Political Parties

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• The Office of Tony Blair: Tony Blair's Official Website.

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history