It morphs into a poor man's Frederick Forsyth novel in lots of way - plenty of descriptions of how things work, and you kind of feel you're getting some insider information now and then, but none of it hangs together that well as a story. Today, any radical British PM would not have to cope with the context of a Cold War against a communist enemy potentially undermining his position. E-mail after purchase. "The Times" described it 'as rattling along with great speed and credibility'; the "New Statesman" saw it as 'a world of power struggle in Downing Street, Fleet Street, Whitehall and Washington'; while the "Observer" called it 'a delicious fantasy.' Starring Ray McAnally (A Perfect Spy, My Left Foot), this PBS Masterpiece Theatre miniseries won an International Emmy Award, three top British television awards and the Banff Television Festival grand prize. Well worth a read.

Please try again. As MI5 conspires with the city and press barons to bring Perkins down, he finds himself caught up in a no-holds-barred battle for survival. Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2010. Although it was written in the early 1980s, this book has a peculiar resonance today, given the potential of a Corbyn government. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. The power of the unions, big business, finance and the press all play their part in how the story of Harry Perkins comes to an end, but it's a personal relationship outlined at the start of the book that comes back to haunt him in the final chapters.

But the establishment isn't going down without a fight. Although it was written in the early 1980s, this book has a peculiar resonance today, given the potential of a Corbyn government. Redemption links and Kindle Books cannot be resold.

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. The story of the overthrow of a radical Labour government by a cabal of intelligence, political and media figures has a genuine feel of reality to it. It morphs into a poor man's Frederick Forsyth novel in lots of way - plenty of descriptions of how things work, and you kind of feel you're getting some insider information now and then, but none of it hangs together that well as a story. If I had read this book six or seven years ago I would have probably have considered this tale far fetched but when you consider the media onslaught against the Labour party in general and Jeremy Corbyn in particular, then all of a sudden it may make you think doesn't it?

Learn more about the program. Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? Please try again. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Amazon.com. While the initial barrage of political details may confuse American viewers, the complexity soon clears and this miniseries becomes a gripping, dazzling feast of government machinations, media deviousness, and internal power struggles--leading up to murder, blackmail, and extortion. This novel would appear very dated and far fetched if it were not for Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters making the central character, Harry Perkins, a more than plausible, present day, protagonist in a world where most of us by now realise that our elected political leaders are very much constrained by the appropriately named Whitehall Mandarins'. Both this and "Secret State", from a couple of years ago, are based on the same book be Chris Mullin. The book ends rather unsatisfactorily - pretty much like most political careers. Its success as a TV series focused attention on the activities of people who would rather not have been noticed. The book is much more finely nuanced and balanced although the TV version dwells on characters more than the book. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2018.

A Very British Coup comes from a slightly earlier era(Thatcher) but demonstrates Mullin has a keen eye for how power works in the British system and the writing chops to make a firecracker of a story out of observations. If Corbyn seeks a cautionary tale, he need look no further. --This text refers to the, New TV tie-in edition of the acclaimed political satire, The Road to Wigan Pier (Penguin Modern Classics). Highly recommended whether TV or book. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2018. I liked each for its own merits. As MI5 conspires with the city and press barons to bring Perkins down, he finds himself caught up in a no-holds-barred battle for survival. First published in 1982, Mullin's A Very British Coup starts well and shows some real insights into how an extremist politician could take hold of a major political party and end up as PM.

Unable to add item to List. When originally published the idea of a radical Labour government seemed a very long way off. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. A VERY BRITISH COUP The taut, powerful, all-too-plausible story about a democracy attacked from within When plain-spoken, charismatic former steelworker Harry Perkins becomes prime minister in a landslide Labour Party victory, his socialist agenda horrifies the entrenched ruling class and the right-wing media. (Val McDermid, The classic political thriller that foretold the rise of Corbyn, from the acclaimed author of, Chris Mullin was Member of Parliament for Sunderland South from 1987 until 2010. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2018. Yet another astonishing example of the daring and intelligence of British television, A Very British Coup imagines what might have happened if, during the latter days of the cold war, a left-wing prime minister had launched reforms that seriously threatened the interests of the establishment--including the United States.

Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Sadly, as the story unfolds, Mullin spreads his net too widely, so the bigger global themes (US-UK relations for example), don't really get developed fully. Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2007. British political thrillers are top-notch, and this one is no exception, even if it is a product of the eighties. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Mullin's diaries are unmissable, but the same can't be said of his fiction. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Try again. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Then there followed 'A very British Coup', a book serialised on British Television, which goes 'all-out' to describe how the likes of Harry Perkins could be dealt with if they ever came to power.
But the establishment isn't going down without a fight.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2018.

In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. The power of the unions, big business, finance and the press all play their part in how the story of Harry Perkins comes to an end, but it's a personal relationship outlined at the start of the book that comes back to haunt him in the final chapters. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. From nostalgic history to current affairs, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 October 2015. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Nevertheless, it seems highly unlikely that a radical Labour government would not face the additional challenges faced by Harry Perkins. This four-hour Masterpiece Theatre miniseries is among the very best shows I've ever seen on television. As Perkins presses ahead with plans to close down U.S. military bases, break up newspaper monopolies and dismantle British nuclear weapons, the establishment and its American allies conspire in a brutal back-room struggle to regain control.
I remember watching Channel 4's (fabulous) adaptation of A Very British Coup in 1988. One of these items is dispatched sooner than the other.

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment. Although it was written in the early 1980s, this book has a peculiar resonance today, given the potential of a Corbyn government. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. First published in 1982, Mullin's A Very British Coup starts well and shows some real insights into how an extremist politician could take hold of a major political party and end up as PM. -- The Washington Post. As M15 conspires with the city and the press barons, Perkins the PM finds himself in a no-holds-barred battle for survival..."A Very British Coup" is a clever blend of fact and fiction and links to the plots and schemes that were undoubtedly mounted against Harold Wilson's Labour government. He has served on many select committees, and has also been a minister, leaving the government in 2005. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 March 2020. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2018.

A Very British Coup cunningly displays the tooth and claw of real politics, how personality and policy meld into action and subterfuge. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

The Cold War may have evolved into something else, but the problem of media frenzies, covert surveillance and behind the scenes manipulation of events by secret intelligence services continues. He passionately believes in the pre-eminence of the elected parliament in the whole political process.

This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Now he's going to dismantle Britain's nuclear warheads, bring finance under public control and dismantle the media empires. Conditions apply. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Mullin's diaries are unmissable, but the same can't be said of his fiction. Try again. Does this book contain inappropriate content? The famed BBC TV sitcom series 'Yes Priminister' had shown the world enough and Peter Wright's 'Spy Catcher' (banned from sale, at the time of its publication, in the UK) had told us how close the Wilson Administration came to being scuppered by the establishment that was supposed to support it. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Today, any radical British PM would not have to cope with the context of a Cold War against a communist enemy potentially undermining his position.