I mean, what is there to say about this book? It manages to be disappointing even for what it is, because I was really hoping to read lots of gossipy bits about the Tory part but instead it’s like, 15% gossip and 85% City on a Hill-type grandstanding by someone who genuinely believes in the saving power of trickle down economics. It’s not much fun to try and argue with someone like that, and it’s even less fun to read her book. If you must, at least have someone next to you who can chortle at your frequent, exasperated chuffs.
Aka, if you read this book and no one knows about it, did you even read it??
Truss has the eyes of a believer, and luckily you know that from the cover itself. You’re not going to get any admission of mistakes or missteps. Everything that happened to her can be blamed on (take your pick) Labour, the media, backstabbers, the spineless, bad luck, ill timing, or any other type of finger-pointed-at-rationale. It’s fascinating to see the inside machinations of someone whose greatest skill appears to be a profound lack of self awareness. If anything, try to emulate this quality of hers next time you walk into your job. I imagine it might work somewhat well, even away from Whitehall.
Some bits–gripping. Minute by minute-ish recap of her ouster I could have read in much greater detail. Whining about China, I could take or leave (she isn’t wrong about the threat that China poses to the resilience of the global supply chain, but also she blithely skips over neocon responsibility for this situation in the first place). Whingeing about COVID…needs to be read to be believed. But in general, whenever the book flips over to “From the Desk of Liz” I skipped ahead to the next chapter, eager to see what contextual setting she’d pull out for her ongoing war against everyone.