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  • The Candidate

  • Jeremy Corbyn's Improbable Path to Power
  • By: Alex Nunns
  • Narrated by: Pete Nottage
  • Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (71 ratings)

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The Candidate

By: Alex Nunns
Narrated by: Pete Nottage
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Summary

Nominated for the 2017 Bread & Roses Award for Radical Publishing.

In June 2017, an earthquake shook the very foundations of British politics. With Labour widely predicted to suffer a crushing defeat in the general election, Jeremy Corbyn instead achieved a stunning upset - a hung parliament, the humiliation of Theresa May's government, and more than 40 percent of the vote.

A lifelong and uncompromising socialist, Corbyn had, against all expectations, been dramatically elected leader of the party in September 2015. In the space of less than two years, he had progressed from 200-to-one outsider for the Labour Party leadership to become an apparent Prime Minister-in-waiting.

How these events came about is the subject of Alex Nunns' highly listenable and richly researched account. Drawing on firsthand interviews with those involved in the leadership and general-election campaigns, including Labour's most senior figures, Nunns traces the origins of Corbyn's ascent. Giving full justice to the dramatic swings and nail-biting tensions of an extraordinary moment in UK politics, Nunns' telling of a story that has received widespread attention but little understanding is as illuminating as it is entertaining.

Selected by The Guardian as one of the best politics books of 2016, this updated edition includes a new introduction and an extensive afterword that brings an extraordinary story right up to date.

©2018 Alex Nunns (P)2018 Alex Nunns

What listeners say about The Candidate

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Funny in retrospect

A hilarious listen, given Labour’s election thrashing just 2 years later.
Narration has a bizarre method of delivering other people’s quotes by speaking extremely quickly. Honestly sounds ludicrous.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining as well as educational.

Loved it ! Entertaining and educational , great story. Told with honesty , covering all sides of this political phenomenon.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The unlikely story of a left wing candidate taking power in the Labour Party

Alex Nunns' book "The Candidate" is a captivating journey into a pivotal era within the Labour Party. It skillfully unravels the remarkable and unforeseen ascent of a genuinely left-wing MP to the helm of the party. This insightful narrative offers readers a unique perspective on the inner workings of political transformation and leaves you inspired by the power of grassroots movements. Nunns' writing is engaging and thought-provoking, making "The Candidate" a must-read for anyone interested in the dynamics of progressive politics

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

Cuts through the Tory press bias and delivers the facts about the unlikely rise of Corbyn

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good book but a little biased

This is a good book with a good story but it has a very clear left wing stance. I still enjoyed the book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommended

Thoroughly enjoyed reliving this political period especially with insights from main protagonist's .

Narration was Superb

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Must read

Excellent insight and analysis for those who are open to listening. Oh what could’ve been...

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Hero worship

For an audiobook which rightly points out the nonsense of hero worship and imbalanced press coverage, particularly in the political sphere, it is pretty much a relentless apologetic for Mr Corbyn.

The narrator, clearly a convert himself, delivers breathlessly, which actually spoils what is otherwise an entertainingly well-written, unashamedly partisan, homage to the very kind of populist politics people clearly love (to hate) from all sides of the political spectrum.

Relentless anecdotal rehearsals of clapping, back-slapping and basking in the glory of the 'Candidate' get a bit tiresome.

Otherwise, it's an interesting read/listen if you're a paid up member of Mr Corbyn's fan club, or are othewise amused by/fed up with the whole political merry-go-round.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Embarrassingly poor narration

Boring, but also rendered unlistenable because of the narrator’s command of English. Pronounced “tributary” as “try-BEW-sha-ree”. Mate, you had one job...

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A reminder of how Corbyn came to lead the Labour Party

I wanted a reminder of what had happened since Corbyn came to prominence as a leadership candidate, and got it. It was over long though, with too many snide asides on the party machine. I’d have preferred it to stick closer to the facts with less rhetoric. The narration felt rushed and breathless. Mispronounced words spoiled the narrative. Glad I finished it though.

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