A Blaze of Autumn Sunshine: The Last Diaries

Description

The final volume from the pre-eminent diarist of his generation. In this final volume of diaries, Tony Benn reflects on the compensations and the disadvantages of old age. With the support of a small circle of friends and his extended family, he continues his activities on behalf of social justice, peace and accountability in public life, to a background of political change and the international economic crisis. Following an illness in 2009 the diaries, kept for over sixty years, cease. Published here alongside these last diaries are Tony Benn's highly personal insights into the challenges of old age and failing health, of widowhood,and of moving out of the family home after sixty years. Finally, we share in Tony Benn's hopes for the future based on his years of experience and his natural optimism.

Radical statesman and Member of Parliament for over fifty years, Tony Benn is the pre-eminent diarist of his generation. His political activity continued after 'retirement' through mass meetings, broadcasts and in more recent years through social media. A widower since 2000, Tony Benn died at his home in London on 14th March 2014.

There is a new kind of freedom in his thoughts and in his writing. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday * This is a lovely book; warm, humane, genuinely revelatory and, on occasions, a touch surreal. -- Rod Liddle * The Sunday Times * There is something amusing on almost every page of these diaries. * Daily Telegraph * The real Benn is with us still, but that friendly diarist's voice in one's ear has now fallen silent for good. It is an eerie foretaste of quite how much we will miss him when he's gone. * Guardian * And so the mighty torrent of words finally dries up... It is hard not to admire Benn's determination to be true to his ideals... Tony Benn is not going gentle into that good night. * Sunday Times *