Power Trip: A Decade of Policy, Plots and Spin First Edition

[A] captivating account… It is unlikely that his account will change many minds about this greatly flawed politician, but its self-lacerating candour and humour deserve a wide audience. It is both a memoir and a manual, one that will serve historians, students of the craft of politics and if they take the trouble to read it those Conservatives who are even now working on how to get David Cameron back to Downing Street in 2015. It is the essential political book of the year… There are anecdotes galore involving nudity, vast amounts of alcohol, and dirty tricks. His memoir will be read first for the elegant and lightly told vignettes. McBride can write, which makes it a pleasure to read… So much of this invaluable book is true. –Benedict Brogan, The Telegraph

The first thing to say is that I think the book is structured very well… It is an excellent read and for a political geek like me there was enough behind the scenes colour and filling in the gaps for episodes that I recall seeing unfold from the outside to keep me glued to it for the 2 days (on and off) it took me to read it… I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in politics and/or the processes that go on behind the scenes. I suspect that all the main movers and shakers of all parties will have it on their reading lists, and that’s if they haven’t already read it. In the world of Westminster there is almost no bigger compliment for political memoirs. It shows you once mattered and Damian McBride certainly did. –Mark Thompson

Although there is no shortage of New Labour memoirs, what gives this book a ghastly fascination is that it is the first no-holds-barred account of life at Brown’s court… It is well written, generous to friend and foe alike and the author’s undoubted boastfulness is tempered by heavy doses of self-deprecation. –Chris Mullin, The Observer

It is pacy and McBride writes with a nice turn of phrase. As a glimpse into the Brown bunker it offers much. –Robert Shrimsley, Financial Times