Product Description

Even if she hadn't married Tony Blair, Cherie'sstory would have been amazing. Abandoned by her actorfather, she overcame obstacles to become one of the UK's most successful barristers. But when Labour took power in 1997, she faced new challenges: her husband was the first Prime Minister in recent history with a young family, and Cherie was the first PM's wife with a serious career.


Now, she gives a complete account of her own life--an astonishing journey for a woman whose unconventional childhood was full of drama and who grew up with a fierce sense of justice. In her autobiography she reveals for the first time what it was like to combine life as a working mother with life married to the Prime Minister. She writes about her encounters with scores of foreign leaders and her friendships with Presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as with Hillary and Laura. And she offers inside details of her relationships with the royals, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290687 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780316031455
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, has penned a dishy autobiography that will appeal to a niche audience of readers. Rather than a solid reconsideration of her less-than-privileged Liverpudlian childhood, her career as a top-notch barrister, her “marriage of equals” to the man who would and did become prime minister, and her failures and successes as a working mother, she prefers to bolster her own ego and polish her husband’s reputation at the expense of what could have been a fascinating memoir. Scores of celebrities and prominent political figures appear throughout the narrative, and it’s not too hard to guess which ones are on Cherie’s good side and which ones most decidedly are not. Still, there is no denying that Mrs. Blair had a box seat to many of the most formative international events of the last few decades, and although her insider’s view of history unfolding may be a biased one, it is nevertheless a fascinating one. --Margaret Flanagan

About the Author
Cherie Blair, known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is an English barrister. She is married to Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating character study of a flawed woman who's led an interesting life
Cherie Blair's main claim to fame is her marriage to Tony Blair who was Britain's Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007. However she is also an interesting individual in her own right: the daughter of a famous actor who has had a prestigious legal career as well as having a front row seat for recent political events. She was widely disliked in the UK, and I have to say that if you don't like Cherie Blair, this is probably not the book that will change your mind. I started reading it with an open mind, but by the end even I was getting tired of her! Having said that, I enjoyed reading "Speaking for Myself" and I recommend it (which may sound strange, but only if you think you need to like the subject of a biography to enjoy reading it).

One of the things that has always intrigued me about Mrs Blair is that she is such a contrast: a high achiever with a great deal of intelligence and yet so devoid of emotional intelligence that she is oblivious to the way that she comes across. It's clear from reading this book that she is a warm and caring person, intensely loyal to her family and friends, who does a lot for charity. It's also clear that she has poor personal judgement and no idea how to read situations.

Cherie grew up in working class Liverpool. Her father was largely absent from her life (she only found out that she had a new step-sister when she saw the birth notice in the newspaper). She was raised by her grandmother and mother and developed a strong sense of feminism from an early age. What's interesting is that she then chose to go into law - one of the most conservative occupations that she could have chosen - and to marry a man whose political ambitions meant that she was condemning herself to playing a support role. She makes a throwaway comment at one stage about how simple her life could have been had she chosen to marry someone else, but the fact is that she made her choices knowingly and yet proceeds to complain about the consequences at great length. It's hard to muster the sympathy that she clearly feels she deserves.

Cherie also has a preoccupation with financial security, which is not attractive but nevertheless understandable given her working class background. What she doesn't seem to get however is how inappropriate it is for a woman in her privileged position to complain about being hard up. Instead it's as if she thinks that if she just explains one more time about how Tony went from earning £80,000 per annum to £20,000 per annum when he became an MP, then we'd suddenly get it and feel sorry for her.

In the early days of Tony's political career, he and Cherie had a strong partnership. The dynamic between them changed when he became PM. Cherie had to accept that she didn't get to know what was going on and that Alastair Campbell would make decisions about what she could and couldn't do. She felt quite isolated in Downing Street (at one point she refers to herself as "the prisoner") and probably as a consequence she developed very close relationships with her hairdresser Andre and with her "lifestyle adviser" Carole Caplin. Nevertheless when things all fall apart with Carole, she comments that she didn't have the emotional energy to deal with Carole's misery. This section of the book is Cherie at her worst. She had gone through a miscarriage, felt financially insecure and was generally feeling sorry for herself. She is so pre-occupied with her own woes that she doesn't give much thought to the looming conflict in Iraq and she also never admits that she made errors of judgement (the inability to acknowledge her mistakes is a recurring flaw in her character).

The best parts of the book are when Cherie is talking about the places she's been and people that she's met. Her descriptions of official visits to China, Pakistan and Rwanda are fascinating, as are her observations about world players like the Clintons, President Bush, Vladimir Putin, the Royal Family and the very theatrical Silvio Berlosconi. (Putin's wife tells her that Putin has a rule that you must never praise a woman as that will only spoil her). She had a unique front row to history and she's very open about what she thinks. The book is also very amusing at times - I laughed out loud when she described sitting her driving test. She comes across as being very honest throughout, even when it's to her detriment (and it often is).

The book is long and could easily have been shorter. (There's too much about her early boyfriends for example.) It's not badly written, but a better editor would also have encouraged a greater degree of self-scrutiny. She's an interesting and complex woman but this is not the book it could have been. Nonetheless, despite these criticisms, I enjoyed it very much.

More than a wife....
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (12/08)

Cherie has given her readers an amazing life story. Primarily being raised by her grandparents had both a positive and negative influence on the young Cherie and her siblings. Her father abandoned his family, choosing himself and a career in the limelight as an actor. Her mother worked very hard to provide for her children. Although her father was successful, he chose not to support his first family and went on to make himself a new one. Her grandparents helped in all the ways they could and had a great effect on Cherie as she grew into a driven and successful young lady.

Meeting Tony Blair, who would one day become the Prime Minister of England, at an interview where they were both competing for entrance scholarships to Lincoln's Inn, a very competitive relationship was formed. From that point on their lives mingled until they became entwined and eventually led them to becoming a family.

As life would have it you sometimes get what you want. With political aspirations the couple shared a life in the spotlight that was not always kind or positive. Sharing her challenges such as raising children when the entire country is watching, Cherie shows raw emotion which sometimes leaves you asking if she wants you to feel sympathy for her situation. Life is hard, but in some way life is hard for everyone. Things don't always go as planned, but things don't always go as planned for everyone. Each of us has our own challenges. Regardless of our financial or personal situation life is a challenge. Our purpose is to live it. Cherie Blair is a very blessed individual who has experienced an incredible life. She shares this wonderful life with us in "Speaking for Myself: My Life from Liverpool to Downing Street." Please do not leave with the impression that she is just a spoiled person, look over the selfishness and give her cheer's for the great strength she possesses and drive which led her to achieve greatness.

Translated into US English for Kindle
Others have written excellent reviews of this book, which I endorse. I am reading it on my Kindle and realized pretty quickly that it had been re-written for the US market in my edition. I don't quite understand why - US readers are quite able to understand English English, so what's the point? They even left Harry Potter alone in US editions, written for children. It's very irritating to read the well-educated Ms Blair's grammar changing to US English, so be warned before you purchase it in electronic form.