This is not a conventional biography detailing chronologically every significant event in its subject's life. The obvious reason for this is that there have already been two excellent biographies of Blair: an early volume by Jon Sopel and another by John Rentoul. These books cover the ground extensively. They were both 'authorised' biographies in that their authors had a degree of consent from their subject when requesting interviews with family and friends.Although this book had very substantial access to those close to Blair, it is an unauthorised biography, and sees the subject through the eyes not of the mid-1990s, but through those of one writing ten years later. The concern of the early biographies was to explain how Tony Blair rose up to his exceptional hegemonic position.

Focusing on the twenty key episodes of Tony Blair"s life and career and the twenty key personalities with whom he has surrounded himself,BLAIR explains the man destined to be the last British Prime Minister to command a world stage. Drawing on previously unpublished diaries and documents and based on 600 original interviews with those who have known and worked with Blair, and now updated, it is a gripping and revelatory book about the man who has shaped modern Britain.

The most comprehensive assessment yet of the man the author declares "had the potential to become a great Prime Minister",... The sheer amount of evidence Seldon brings to his narrative gives his judgements extra weight... This book will become the automatic reference point for studies of a political period that promised so much。

Introduction

Introduction to the Second Edition

Father"s Stroke, 1953-71

Father and Mother

Oxford and Loss of Mother, 1971-75

Peter Thomson

Commits to Labour, 1975-82

Cherie Blair

Sedgefield, 1983

John Burton

The Closed Shop, 1983-90

Neil Kinnock

United States Visits, 1991-93

Philip Gould

General and Leadership Elections, 1992

Peter Mandelson

Leadership Election, 1994

Derry lrvine

Clause IV, 1994-95

Eric Anderson

General Election, 1995-97

Roy Jenkins

Death of Diana, 1997

Alastair Campbell

The Euro Decision, October 1997

Jonathan Powell

Good Friday Agreement, April 1998

Bill Clinton

Kosovo, 1999

John Prescott

"Scars on My Back", 1997-2001

Margaret Thatcher

General Election, 2001

Anti Hunter

9/11 and Aftermath, 2001-02

God

"Cheriegate", 2002

Charles Falconer

Iraq, 2003

George W. Bush

The "Wobble", 2004

Gordon Brown

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

Notes

Bibliography

Index