Last Man Standing

As a small boy in Epping Forest, Jack Straw could never have imagined that one day he would become Britain's Lord Chancellor. As one of five children of divorced parents, he was bright enough to get a scholarship to a direct-grant school, but spent his holidays as a plumbers' mate for his uncles to bring in some much-needed extra income. Yet he spent 13 years and 11 days in government, including long and influential spells as Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. This is the story of how he got there. His memoirs offer a unique insight into the complex, sometimes self-serving but always fascinating world of British politics and reveals the toll that high office takes, but , more importantly, the enormous satisfaction and extraordinary privilege of serving both your constituents and your country.

Straw's has been a very public life, but he reveals the private face, too and offers readers a vivid and authoritative insight into the Blair/Brown era and, indeed, the last forty years of British politics.
Long-awaited memoir of a much-respected and well-liked politician, who has yet to speak in any detail about his many years in office

The political book of 2013 – perfect gift for anyone interested in contemporary politics and post-war British history

Massive pr campaign across all media, supported by national newspaper serialisation, festival and other speaking engagements The autobiography of Jack Straw - an MP for thirty-three years and at the heart of government throughout the longest-serving Labour administration in history