Kind of Blue (book)
.jpg) First edition cover | |
| Author | Kenneth Clarke |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Memoir |
| Published | 6 October 2016 |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 525 |
| ISBN | 9781509837199 |
Kind of Blue: A Political Memoir is a memoir by British Conservative politician Kenneth Clarke. The book was published on 6 October 2016 by Macmillan Publishers. It accounts for Clarke's forty-six years as the MP for Rushcliffe and the various Cabinets he served during that time, under various Prime Ministers. The book received mostly negative reviews from critics.
Background
[edit]Clarke was a member of the Conservative Party who served under multiple Prime Ministers including Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron. He was considered a "political maverick" who opposed the more right leaning members of his party.[1][2] In 2014, Clarke stepped down from his role as Minister without portfolio.[3][4]
The book was named after the album Kind of Blue by jazz musician Miles Davis.[3] Clarke recorded the book using a dictaphone which was later editorialized by others.[1][5]
Release
[edit]Kind of Blue was released on 6 October 2016 by Macmillan Publishers.[6] Macmillan paid £430,000 for the publishing rights to the book. With the exception of those written by Prime Ministers, 430,000 was the highest amount for a book by a British politician.[3]
Reception
[edit]John Kampfner, writing for The Observer, felt that the book was "captivating" and compared the experience to listing to an audiobook.[5] Writing for The Guardian described the book as "boring" and "shallow" noting that the epilogue felt rushed and acted on.[1] Writing for The Times, John Preston felt the book was repetitive and generic.[7]
The decision to use dictation was met with negative reception,[1][8] with some critics finding it disappointing.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Hare, David (14 October 2016). "Kind of Blue by Ken Clarke review – the sympathetic Tory? Forget it". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ "Kind of Blue". The Times Bookshop. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Moris, Nigel (13 March 2016). "Ken Clarke receives record £430,000 for 'Great Gatsby' memoirs". The Independent. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ Rawnsley, Andrew (19 July 2014). "Kenneth Clarke: I had a lot of views, but they didn't coincide with No 10's". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b Kampfner, John (16 October 2016). "Kind of Blue: A Political Memoir by Ken Clarke – review". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ "Kind of Blue: A Political Memoir". Amazon. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ Preston, John (17 October 2016). "Ken Clarke's memoir Kind of Blue is a damp squib with a late thunderbolt – review". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Preston, John (17 October 2016). "Ken Clarke's memoir Kind of Blue is a damp squib with a late thunderbolt – review". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
- ^ Hensher, Philip (27 October 2016). "A big beast in Hush Puppies". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 April 2025.