The Powers Behind the Prime Minister by Dennis Kavanagh, Anthony Seldon, 0006531431, Lowest Book Price Finder

Customer Reviews:

A work of undoubtable quality

Whilst the underlying theme of this book (that the prime minister is not as powerful as previous analyses have suggested) the actual content of the research is fascinating and is obviously the result to many years of research by two scholars of great reputation. Undoubtably this book will become the standard work for Whitehall watchers.

interesting subject, but poor teatment

This could be an interesting book, but it falls between two stools, satisfying neither the politics junky (as it isn't presented in an exciting way) nor the academic reader (as it reads more like a list than a serious academic work that puts forward a theory it then tries to prove). The writers get bogged down in unnecessary detail (like the furniture arrangement in number ten!) which don't illuminate the process of government behind the famous black door nor excite us with interesting anecdotes.

Too much detail for the casual reader

A book only for the aficionados of the mechanics of government. It gives little insight into the powerplays behind the moves and (after the fascinating review of the background to Number 10) often reads like a personnel file of jobs and their occupants

First Rate, Old Labour to New Via Thatcher.

This book looks as Number Ten as a political department, it examines the political scene by showing how it it dominated by the Prime Minister. Taking us from Wilson's last two years up to the first two of Blair's premiership, it is a comprehensive study of the centre of power since 1970. It shows how each Premier made an impact on the workings of the political machinery of government and how successful they were in their attempts.

A good background to the geography of politics was very useful, basically who gets an office near the PM. It is also interesting seeing who is in and out of Blair's inner circle. The role of the civil service and press secretaries, are valuable topics of discussion. This is particularly so with the rise of the high profile members of the Thatcher and Blair teams (Bernard Ingham, Alistair Campbell and Johnathan Powell).

Looking at the progression of Number Ten as a poltical cockpit over thirty years gives us an idea of the similar approaches made by Prime Ministers. Have we been here before ? Does Blair attempt to replicate some of Thatcher's methods of controlling Cabinet, civil service, the party machine and so on ?

Harold Wilson tried to revolutionise British government, this book can have an overview of the previous Labour administration and how the civil service moved into the Thatcher period. Radicalism was off the agenda under Major, but Seldon and Kavanagh look at relations between Prime Minister and Chancellor which were difficult at times with both Clarke and Lamont. Can we see parrallels in Blair and Brown ? And as governments change the relationships between key Ministers is always important, Geoffrey Howe's treatment by Thatcher, meant that her own position was weakened. Blair and others might read this and learn lessons for the future.

Next we need a volume covering 1935 to 1970, a book on the previous six men who lived in Ten Downing Street; Get writing Seldon and Kavanagh.

An excellent book, to be read and re-read.

a very useful resource

political groupies will love this book - plenty of background detail about Number Ten, insider stories, and stuff they would rather you didn't know about the way we're governed!

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