I remember many (many) moons ago, having a lesson on writing a CV. We’d had a go and our efforts were returned to us with snippets of advice. One of the additions written in the margin of mine was, “Don’t just put down ‘reading’ as one of your ‘hobbies and Interests’, be more specific”. At the time, I had a penchant for autobiographies, so I dutifully included the genre in my list of specifics. Over the years, I have read quite a few but not, it has to be said, recently – until now. Unleashed did not, at first, appeal, mainly because of its length: 727 pages, not including the lengthy Afterword and Acknowledgements, is a daunting read. Boris doesn’t use one word where fifteen will do but then, I’m a bit like that myself. I was persuaded, however, by my nearest and dearest, that it was worth the effort and that I would enjoy reading it, so, on a dismal day when no one wanted to leave the cosy warmth of the living room, I lazily picked it up from where it had been deliberately left within reach – well, it saved a trip upstairs to inspect the pile awaiting my perusal.

I like a bit of gossip as much as the next man (or should that be person) and this tome (for tome it is although decidedly not dry and dusty) definitely takes us behind the scenes and adds a touch of colour to some of the intrigue...

Mr Johnson is a divisive figure and when I told people what I was reading, reactions, as you might expect, were varied, from those in favour of the Conservative party (and Boris – not necessarily the same thing) who unfalteringly approved of my selection, to those with more left-wing leanings who lambasted me for such a diabolical choice. So, let’s put politics aside and think of this as an autobiography (I know it’s really a political memoir) by someone of whom most of us have at least heard and who, if nothing else, seemed surrounded, during his tenure, by drama and controversy of all sorts.

I like a bit of gossip as much as the next man (or should that be person) and this tome (for tome it is although decidedly not dry and dusty) definitely takes us behind the scenes and adds a touch of colour to some of the intrigue which has, over the years, been studiously reported in the media. We all like to think we are privy to the secret machinations of the rich and famous and without revealing state secrets, Mr Johnson certainly offers a few insights.

I also knew that Boris (it seems disrespectful but somehow, we all know who we’re talking about when we say the name) is a highly intelligent man. He is well educated, with an excellent knowledge of language – not only English but also several others - and from page one, I was enamoured of his use of the written word: fluid, fluent and eminently readable. Of course, it is a little self-indulgent but he is also self-deprecating, admits his faults and foibles and makes frequent humorous asides which poke fun at himself as much as anyone else. As I have said, he is a divisive figure, even within his own party, and media hounds have pounced on his many failings – he’s quite open about those too and at times, appropriately apologetic and regretful. To say a man in his position cannot afford to make mistakes, denies the fact he is human.

He covers it all: Boris bikes and Boris buses, Brexit, Covid, Cummings, climate change, knife crime, the Mayoral election, the Olympics, runways, America, China, Putin, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, and that’s just to name a few...

The book is divided into ten distinct parts so you don’t need to read the whole thing at once but can take your time, dipping into it at will, although I would recommend reading it in order because that just seems like common sense.

He obviously describes some of his beliefs, principles and ideals, one of which is the value of ‘levelling up’ which he defines as ‘spreading opportunity…anything to help kids with energy and talent’ and you can’t really argue with that theory. He saw ‘levelling up’ as the basis for so many of his plans and explains the breadth of his thinking. His championing of girls’ education worldwide is heartfelt. What also comes over early on in the book is his belief in Britain as ‘one great Klondike of undiscovered talent’. I could go on quoting which would defeat the object since it’s for you to read but I will say, he makes you believe in possibilities simply because he repeats that ‘it can be done’. As a mantra, it may not always work but it's not a bad place to start.

There are tricks to every trade; the media certainly have an endless mixed bag and so too, do politicians of all persuasions and Boris lifts the lid on some of the game play (sorry, I really have mixed my metaphors there).

His sheer force of personality is evident on the page. Love him or hate him, it makes for an excellent study in the use of language.

He covers it all: Boris bikes and Boris buses, Brexit, Covid, Cummings, climate change, knife crime, the Mayoral election, the Olympics, runways, America, China, Putin, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, and that’s just to name a few, (oh, and food, lots of references to food and drink) giving us an insight into some of what went on and of the characters involved. They may be familiar faces but there are a few with whom we become even more familiar as we turn the pages. Whatever your politics, whatever your inclinations, Boris offers a train of thought for us to ponder. Agree, disagree, debate, accept or ignore, it makes for an excellent read and even though I lived through it all, mainly via the media, I often found myself racing to find out what happened – or at least to learn the route which was taken to achieve the destination. There’s also plenty of name-dropping, of people and places (and acronyms) but for goodness sake, if an old Etonian, ex-Prime Minister cannot drop a few names, who can?

Don’t get me wrong, politics in the form of negotiations, international treaties and alliances, internal party affairs and national concerns do not always make for easy reading; they can be hard to follow at times (I found the foreign policy in the Middle East most difficult – he himself refers to ‘chaos’ at one point)) and in places, you really have to concentrate but it all makes for intelligent musing and intellectual debate – whatever your political stance. For those who want to know what went on within the corridors of power - which are not always in Westminster - it’s there.

His use of language: metaphor and rhetoric, dialogue, narrative and ‘the aside’,is a pleasure to savour. It’s not a surprise that his style is his own; Boris’ voice is clear. There are certainly tones of the public schoolboy when he refers to erstwhile colleagues: Frosty, Redders and Dave, to name but three. His sheer force of personality is evident on the page. Love him or hate him, it makes for an excellent study in the use of language.

By the end, there is a sadness that he did not perhaps ‘read the room’ as he should have done, that the knives were out before he realised quite how precarious his position had become, but he’s not bitter and is still belligerent in his beliefs.

And, by the by, I shall from now on, follow the advice of the late Queen, whenever I see a single magpie, as elicited by an unusual question posed to her by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson at his last meeting. His discretion in discussing their final conversation remains intact but this was one harmless snippet he shared and if you also heed her words, it may just bring you luck.


Unleashed is published by Harper Collins