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Prezza: My enormous chip on my shoulder

Customer Rating:

I always had a sneaking regard for Prescott, yes he came across sometimes as a bit of a maverick but it made for a refreshing contrast to other politicians. Oh how one book can change your opinion of a man! To be blunt this is not just a poor political biography but a very poor book all round - a lightweight book about a supposedly heavyweight politician, which is more at home amongst the shallow so-called celebs' biographies than amongst serious political tomes. This review really can be summarised by changing the book's title to `Prezza: My enormous chip on my shoulder', and you really don't need any further information as to what this book is about. I'm honestly not exaggerating when I say that virtually every other page documents his struggles with academia and the feeling that the whole world is a conspiracy against him, usually because of those `nasty Tory toffs'. Soon into the book, even though there is an element of sympathy regarding his lack of academic abilities, you start to say `yes, yes we know, we get the point, now move on'. Everyone, according to poor John, is trying to stitch him up; Sky News, the Labour Party, Unions and even the Queen. His encounter with the Queen provided one of the humorous highlights of the book and its inclusion had the opposite effect on me than Prescott probably intended. Instead of, like me, appreciating essentially a fellow master politician at work, with the subtly, astuteness and professionalism that the Queen displayed in a possibly awkward situation, Prescott's response was; "She'd deliberately... caught me out". Perhaps some will see this review as unduly harsh (and if Prescott's reading it, part of the worldwide conspiracy against him) but I have certain expectations regarding political biographies. Essentially, politicians are the cream of the top in terms of ability and intellect and I expect their work to reflect that to an electorate who votes and pays for them, so that we get an idea how the system works and how decisions, which affect every part of our lives, were made. For example books by Thatcher, Tony Benn, Healey, and Churchill are essential reading as political works. This is not one of them. Major political issues such as the Referendum in 1975 are skimmed over and it's hard to see, despite Prescott holding the honourable office of Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, what he actually did apart from be a marriage counsellor to Blair and Brown. Even this is mainly whitewashed over. This subject has been covered in depth elsewhere especially by Andrew Rawnsley in his excellent Servants of the People, but Prescott's version (and he was at the centre of it) is reduced to one chapter with little analysis or much detail. In all, a disappointing book which only took me half a day to read and probably not much more time to write.

Just what l'd hoped for

Customer Rating:

To start my rant, I'm not a Political Animal, and was hoping it would not be full of policy decisions, more about his life. I bought the book because l like John Prescott and think he's an enigmatic person, and would love to meet him. I wasn't disappointed. It's an amusing and entertaining read, he tell's of his life and how he got to be where he was/is, as well as the egg incident. Its not a heavy read. Sadly the New Statesman really pulled it to pieces, which is one of the reasons l bought it. If your not a John Prescott fan don't go anywhere near it. But if you can forget Politics and read about the man, l think you will enjoy it. Personally I'm very happy I've read it, and it has put in my mind what l thought about Mr Prescott to be correct, he is a decent, honest, funny man.....and grumpy as he admits.

Pulling No Punches - that title is a joke	Customer Rating:
I thought from all the preview blurb that the book would be a 'warts and all' story. Instead I found it to be almost totally 'sanitised'. Warts that were mentioned were regarded as blips rather than serious issues and Prezza makes sure he comes across as 'one of the nice guys'.