Diaries: Into Politics v.2 (Vol 2)
by Alan Clark

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Book Reviews of Diaries: Into Politics v.2 (Vol 2)

Book Review: A thoroughly entertaining monster
Summary: 4 Stars

The early part of this book, covering Clark's preparation for and entry into politics, reveals a lot about his character - historian, snob, adulterer, reactionary, gambler, debtor, car collector. It's at its best when Clark is discussing his slide into middle age, his losses at the backgammon table and his attempts to keep Saltwood Castle in the family and to break into Parliament. The description of his early years in the Tory opposition is an interesting worm's eye view of the workings of Parliament, although his description of the '79-'82 period of Conservative government is largely concerned with hagiographies to The Lady, large dinners with other right-wing backbenchers, and attacks on Wets. Some non-political descriptive passages - notably about Saltwood, and about his trip to the South Atlantic and Falklands - are absolutely superb.

Readers of the first volume of Clark's diaries will find elements of everything they enjoyed in them here, though to some extent a near-bankrupt backbencher Clark doesn't have the scope to move in the sort of circles he dissected so mercilessly in the earlier volume covering the 1983-91 period.

The editing is a little more obtrusive than in the previous volume -- presumably Clark edited those himself. Clark's savage wit, sense of history and place still shine through.

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