My Life, Our Times

This long-awaited, revelatory memoir from Britain’s former Prime Minister offers vital insights into our extraordinary times

Miles ahead of anyone you can name currently in office at Westminster. Brown thinks, and thinks profoundly. And by and large, over the last 30 years, what he has thought has turned out to be correct … thrilling … unexpectedly moving

A protagonist of Shakespearian stature … The chapters on the crash are fast, tense and riveting … Like our times, Brown’s life is complicated, contradictory, full of irritations, frustrations and even rage. But as this absorbing memoir makes clear, he is also a man who, in both his willingness and ability to tackle the most pressing questions of our age, towers over those who currently fill the political stage … He is one of the giants of our recent political history – and this book explains why

A compelling story, well told … This is an important book that goes far to explain what made this enigmatic, solitary and intensely private man tick … an example of that rare species in Britain: the intellectual in politics … this book reminds us what a moderate politics of the left looks like and how much it can achieve

Very good at describing the process by which an idea for reform is germinated, then shaped into a policy before being executed … He writes very movingly about the death of baby Jennifer Jane … You feel great sympathy and admiration for his tenacity … one of the most formidable chancellors that Britain has ever seen

In this fascinating book, Gordon Brown shares the experience and perspective of a lifetime spent in public service. Readers will come away with not just a deeper understanding of British and international politics but also the intellect and integrity of one of today’s great statesmen

Gordon Brown is a fiercely passionate Scot who is honest, straightforward and trustworthy. He was a consummate politician, and this is a must-read autobiography

I have always believed Gordon Brown to be a decent person who wanted the best for every person in our society regardless of their start in life. This fascinating book demonstrates his measured thinking, intelligence and humanity, which is what I look for in a prime minister

After hearing Gordon Brown as Prime Minister speaking to a large international audience on eradicating poverty, a colleague from overseas said to me, ‘I wish we had politicians like that in our country.’  Just at the moment, so do I.  This book will show something of the heart and the intelligence of a remarkable, compassionate and dedicated man

A momentous political career … he was undoubtedly the right person, at the right time, to deal with the financial crash of 2008 .. surprisingly generous towards those with whom he clashed repeatedly during his time in politics … when he was good, he was very good indeed

Brown will be remembered for the historic calls which he got right. Independence for the Bank of England, holding out against the euro and leading the global response to a frightening banking collapse. Who, among politicians of recent vintage, can make claim to a posterity as good as that?

This is a formidable book by a formidable man of government

As one might of expect of someone with Brown’s intellectual gifts, his autobiography is fluently written, and despite his reputation as a brooding and moody politician it is not without humour… Ultimately, this book will go down as a formidable memoir

He will rightly be remembered for his and Alistair Darling’s decisive intervention to prevent Britain’s banks going over a cliff, taking the rest of the UK economy with them… Brown’s overall response to the crisis, and the global leadership he showed throughout, helped save us from a 1930s depression. This book is a timely reminder of this recent history

Gordon Brown served as Prime Minister of Britain from 2007 to 2010, during which time he is widely credited with having prevented a second Great Depression in the wake of the financial crash. Previously, he was Britain's longest-serving Chancellor from 1997 to 2007, masterminding many of Labour's proudest achievements including the Minimum Wage, debt cancellation for the world's poorest nations and major reform of Britain's monetary and fiscal policy. Since leaving office, he has dedicated himself to charitable work and is now United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Infrastructure Investors Summit and a Distinguished Global Leader in Residence at New York University. He lives with his wife, Sarah, and two sons, John and Fraser, in Fife, Scotland. 
 
All Gordon Brown's proceeds from My Life, Our Times will go to the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory and Theirworld children’s charity.

Former Prime Minister and the country’s longest-serving Chancellor, Gordon Brown has been a guiding force for Britain and the world over three decades. This is his candid, poignant and deeply relevant story. 
 
In describing his upbringing in Scotland as the son of a minister, the near loss of his eyesight as a student and the death of his daughter within days of her birth, he shares the passionately-held principles that have shaped and driven him, reminding us that politics can and should be a calling to serve. Reflecting on the personal and ideological tensions within Labour and its successes and failures in power, he describes how to meet the challenge of pursuing a radical agenda within a credible party of government. 
 
He explains how as Chancellor he equipped Britain for a globalised economy while swimming against the neoliberal tide and shows what more must be done to halt rising inequality. In his behind-the-scenes account of the financial crisis and his leading role in saving the world economy from collapse, he addresses the question of who was to blame for the crash and why its causes and consequences still beset us. 
 
From the invasion of Iraq to the tragedy of Afghanistan, from the coalition negotiations of 2010 to the referendums on Scottish independence and Europe, Gordon Brown draws on his unique experiences to explain Britain’s current fractured condition. And by showing us what progressive politics has achieved in recent decades, he inspires us with a vision of what it might yet achieve today. 
 
Riveting, expert and highly personal, this historic memoir is an invaluable insight into our times.

David Grossman

Aditya Chakrabortty

Gordon Brown

Robert Peston

A BBC Economics Collection

Five eye-opening BBC documentaries about the hidden economic framework that surrounds our every move. 
 
Capitalism is all around us, affecting almost everything we do and impacting our daily lives in myriad ways. This comprehensive collection takes an in-depth look at this all-pervasive economic system, examining its triumphs and disasters and revealing how it puts money and markets at the centre of our world. 
 
In the explosive 10-part series The New Age of Capitalism, Newsnight's David Grossman probes the factors driving the turbo-charged growth in contemporary commerce. Exploring aspects ranging from the 'intangible economy' and AI to the trillion-dollar tech giants, he asks key questions about the way modern capitalism works, and the consequences for society. 
 
Insecure Overachievers sees leaders of elite City firms divulging the secret epidemic of anxiety and insecurity among elite professionals. Exceptionally capable and fiercely ambitious, they are driven by a deep belief in their own inadequacy, fostered by a competitive work culture that takes advantage of their vulnerabilities. 
 
The Bailouttells the compelling story of the race against time to agree a rescue plan to save Britain's banks from going bust. Told by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with contributions from Alistair Darling, Mervyn King and Robert Peston, this is a blow-by-blow account of how events unfolded during one incredible week in October 2008. 
 
The Money Clinic goes behind the scenes as families and couples open up about their finances and their feelings with a relationship counsellor. In frank, intimate discussions, they learn how to deal with the financial issues that are coming between them, and receive practical tips on managing both their cash and the emotional side of money. 
 
And in Our House, we meet young Brighton couple Tacita and Charlie, who are desperate to buy their first home - but a property on the south coast is out of their reach. We follow them as, guided by a team of financial experts, they travel back in time to 1968, 1979, 1988, 1997 and 2009 to see which decade would have given them the best chance to get on the housing ladder. 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
The New Age of Capitalism 
Presented by David Grossman 
Produced by Diane Richardson and Matthew Chapman 
Editor: Hugh Levinson 
With: Jonathan Haskel; Stian Westlake; Tim Wu; James Williams; Diane Coyle; Andrew McAfee; Dr Asa Cusack; Professor Ricardo Hausmann; Fran Boait; Professor Sir Charles Bean; Brad Katsuyama; Professor Donald MacKenzie; Edward Luttwak; James Bloodworth; Joshua Kurlantzick; Dr Linda Yueh; Rana Foroohar; Joshua Ryan-Collins; Adam Lashinsky; Barry Lynn 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10-21 September 2018 
 
Insecure Overachievers 
Presented by Professor Laura Empson of London's Cass Business School 
Produced by Jonathan Brunert 
With: Jeremy Newman; Alex Michel; Jessica Carmody; Gerry Grimstone, Baron Grimstone of Boscobel; David Morley; Yuval Atsmon; Nigel Jones 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2018 
 
The Bailout 
Presented by Gordon Brown 
With: Alistair Darling; Mervyn King; Robert Peston; Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera; Kirsty McNeill; Tom Fletcher; Nicolas Sarkozy; Sir John Kingman 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 October 2018 
 
The Money Clinic 
Presented by Ruth Alexander 
Produced by Smita Patel 
Editor: Emma Rippon 
Relationship counsellor: Dee Holmes from Relate 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 August 2019 
 
Our House 
Narrated by Katherine Press 
Written and produced by Rosamund Jones and Paul Kerley 
Production co-ordinator: Janet Staples 
Sound engineer: James Beard 
With: Charlie Chatwood; Tacita French; Jonathan Cribb; Professor Sharon Collard; Professor Claire Langhamer 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26-30 August 2019

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