The Irish Diaries:
About this book
The five volumes of journalist and political analyst Alastair Campbell's diaries were a publishing sensation. As British Prime Minister Tony Blair's right-hand man, Campbell played a critical role in every aspect of New Labour strategy. Charting the course of British government from July 1994 to august 2003, Campbell's relentlessly honest, often controversial, occasionally brutal and always razor-sharp commentary has drawn critical acclaim around the world. This one-volume edition focuses on Ireland and the Northern Irish peace process. From the high of the Good Friday agreement and devolution in Northern Ireland to the deadly lows of the Manchester and Omagh bombings, The Irish Diaries explores the tensions, all-night talks, adrenalin-fuelled negotiations and heady personality clashes that are such an intrinsic part of democratic politics. Newly annotated and fully revised by the author with fresh linking commentary, featuring commissioned material by key figures in the Irish peace process, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell himself, The Irish Diaries provides an invaluable historical record for future generations, both in Ireland and beyond.