Kingmaker

An electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE 'Supremely enjoyable . . . With a historian's eye for rigour, a journalist's for detail and a storyteller's for drama' FINANCIAL TIMES 'A wonderfully racy romp and a gripping biography of a brave, ambitious woman' DAILY MAIL 'Fascinating and revelatory. A triumph' WILLIAM BOYD During Pamela Churchill Harriman's life and even after her death, in 1997, her glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures overshadowed her true accomplishments. She was one of the most powerful women of the 20th century and there is practically no-one in 20th century politics, culture and fashion whose lives she did not touch: from her father-in-law Winston Churchill, to the Kennedys and Gloria Steinem, to Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. Now, for the first time and with a wealth of fresh research, Sonia Purnell unveils the spectacular story of how Harriman left an indelible mark on the world today. NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, FINANCIAL TIMES, GUARDIAN, MAIL ON SUNDAY, DAILY EXPRESS, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, SPECTATOR, IRISH EXAMINER, LONDON STANDARD, NEW YORKER, POLITICO, APPLE BOOKS, TOWN & COUNTRY and OLDIE 'A page turner that matches her subject in verve and ambition . . . Tremendous' IRISH EXAMINER 'Everyone I know on both sides of the Atlantic seems to be devouring Kingmaker' TINA BROWN 'An incredible story, beautifully told, of a remarkable woman whose political influence spanned Churchill to Clinton. Quite a woman, quite a read' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL 'Superb and fascinating. I can't recommend it more' LADY ANNE GLENCONNER, bestselling author of Lady in Waiting 'Rigorous but rollicking' NEW YORK TIMES 'As compelling as its subject' TLS ' Riveting and revelatory' THE NEW YORKER

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, THE MOST REVEALING POLITICAL MEMOIR OF THE YEAR. 'A must read' London Daily 'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph 'S hows us how power really works at the commanding heights of British politics ... essential' The Times David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics for a decade and a half. The last fifteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now. Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads. With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, THE MOST REVEALING POLITICAL MEMOIR OF THE YEAR. 'A must read' London Daily 'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph 'S hows us how power really works at the commanding heights of British politics ... essential' The Times David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics for a decade and a half. The last fifteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now. Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads. With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR THE BESTSELLING INSIDER STORY OF WESTMINSTER'S BLOODIEST POWER BATTLES ' Myths are debunked, prime ministers exposed and secrets revealed ... essential' The Times 'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph ' Entertaining and approachable' The Spectator David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics The last fourteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now. Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads. Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. This book is the story of how a boy from Salford came to be the definitive political insider. With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.

An electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, FINANCIAL TIMES, MAIL ON SUNDAY, DAILY EXPRESS, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, SPECTATOR, IRISH EXAMINER, LONDON STANDARD, NEW YORKER, POLITICO, APPLE BOOKS, TOWN & COUNTRY and OLDIE 'Supremely enjoyable ... With a historian's eye for rigour, a journalist's for detail and a storyteller's for drama' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Rich and riveting' GUARDIAN, BEST BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS OF 2024 'I've been gobbling up Kingmaker ... For years, Pamela's achievements were overshadowed by gossipy whispers about her past. Finally, she has a book that is worthy of her' ELIZABETH DAY 'Exhilarating' MAIL ON SUNDAY , BOOKS OF THE YEAR ' Anna Karenina meets West Wing ' IRISH EXAMINER , BOOKS OF THE YEAR When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were scathing - and often downright sexist. Written off as a social climber, her glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures overshadowed her true legacy. Much of what she did behind the scenes to shape the twentieth century, on both sides of the Atlantic, remained invisible. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how Harriman left an indelible mark on the world today. There is practically no-one in twentieth-century politics, culture and fashion whose lives she did not touch. Her influence began at age twenty, when her father-in-law, Winston Churchill, engaged her as a "secret weapon" during World War II, wining, dining and seducing Americans over to the British cause against Hitler. It continued later in the US, where she hand-picked Bill Clinton from obscurity and vaulted him to the presidency. It extended further, over five decades and two continents, influencing figures like the Kennedys, Nelson Mandela, Truman Capote, Gianni Agnelli, Kay Graham, Gloria Steinem and Frank Sinatra. Written with the novelistic richness and investigative rigour that only Sonia Purnell could bring to this story full of sex, power, yachts, palaces and fabulous clothes, Kingmaker sets out Harriman's rightful place at the heart of recent history. **** 'Rigorous but rollicking' NEW YORK TIMES 'Everyone I know on both sides of the Atlantic seems to be devouring Kingmaker' TINA BROWN 'An incredible story, beautifully told, of a remarkable woman whose political influence spanned Churchill to Clinton. Quite a woman, quite a read' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL 'Superb and fascinating. I can't recommend it more' LADY ANNE GLENCONNER, bestselling author of Lady in Waiting 'Fascinating and revelatory, written with great aplomb, insight and shrewd analysis. A triumph' WILLIAM BOYD 'As compelling as its subject' TLS ' Riveting and revelatory' THE NEW YORKER 'An alluring new biography' THE ECONOMIST 'Purnell's research is impeccable' SPECTATOR ' Kingmaker is on to something important. Successful women are judged differently than men' AMANDA FOREMAN, GUARDIAN 'Sympathetic, well-researched, busily peopled' OBSERVER BOOK OF THE DAY 'Vivid' NEW STATESMAN

An electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, FINANCIAL TIMES, MAIL ON SUNDAY, DAILY EXPRESS, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, SPECTATOR, IRISH EXAMINER, LONDON STANDARD, NEW YORKER, POLITICO, APPLE BOOKS, TOWN & COUNTRY and OLDIE 'Supremely enjoyable ... With a historian's eye for rigour, a journalist's for detail and a storyteller's for drama' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Rich and riveting' GUARDIAN, BEST BIOGRAPHIES AND MEMOIRS OF 2024 'I've been gobbling up Kingmaker ... For years, Pamela's achievements were overshadowed by gossipy whispers about her past. Finally, she has a book that is worthy of her' ELIZABETH DAY 'Exhilarating' MAIL ON SUNDAY , BOOKS OF THE YEAR ' Anna Karenina meets West Wing ' IRISH EXAMINER , BOOKS OF THE YEAR When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were scathing - and often downright sexist. Written off as a social climber, her glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures overshadowed her true legacy. Much of what she did behind the scenes to shape the twentieth century, on both sides of the Atlantic, remained invisible. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how Harriman left an indelible mark on the world today. There is practically no-one in twentieth-century politics, culture and fashion whose lives she did not touch. Her influence began at age twenty, when her father-in-law, Winston Churchill, engaged her as a "secret weapon" during World War II, wining, dining and seducing Americans over to the British cause against Hitler. It continued later in the US, where she hand-picked Bill Clinton from obscurity and vaulted him to the presidency. It extended further, over five decades and two continents, influencing figures like the Kennedys, Nelson Mandela, Truman Capote, Gianni Agnelli, Kay Graham, Gloria Steinem and Frank Sinatra. Written with the novelistic richness and investigative rigour that only Sonia Purnell could bring to this story full of sex, power, yachts, palaces and fabulous clothes, Kingmaker sets out Harriman's rightful place at the heart of recent history. **** 'Rigorous but rollicking' NEW YORK TIMES 'Everyone I know on both sides of the Atlantic seems to be devouring Kingmaker' TINA BROWN 'An incredible story, beautifully told, of a remarkable woman whose political influence spanned Churchill to Clinton. Quite a woman, quite a read' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL 'Superb and fascinating. I can't recommend it more' LADY ANNE GLENCONNER, bestselling author of Lady in Waiting 'Fascinating and revelatory, written with great aplomb, insight and shrewd analysis. A triumph' WILLIAM BOYD 'As compelling as its subject' TLS ' Riveting and revelatory' THE NEW YORKER 'An alluring new biography' THE ECONOMIST 'Purnell's research is impeccable' SPECTATOR ' Kingmaker is on to something important. Successful women are judged differently than men' AMANDA FOREMAN, GUARDIAN 'Sympathetic, well-researched, busily peopled' OBSERVER BOOK OF THE DAY 'Vivid' NEW STATESMAN

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR THE BESTSELLING INSIDER STORY OF WESTMINSTER'S BLOODIEST POWER BATTLES ' Myths are debunked, prime ministers exposed and secrets revealed ... essential' The Times 'Refreshingly honest' The Telegraph ' Entertaining and approachable' The Spectator David Cameron. Theresa May. Boris Johnson. Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive memoir. Kingmaker lifts the lid on the leadership battles that have defined British politics The last fourteen years have seen turbulence at the centre of politics that is perhaps unique in British history. From coalition to Brexit, Covid to Partygate, Trussonomics to this year's election, our government has never felt so fractured. And as Prime Ministers have come and gone, one man has been at the heart of every leadership challenge, seeing all, but saying nothing. Until now. Sir Graham Brady was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee since 2010. As the leader of the group with the power to choose a new leader of the Conservative Party, it was his hand that held the executioner's axe over five consecutive Prime Ministers' heads. Elected to Parliament in 1997 as the youngest Conservative MP in the house, Brady comes from a lower middle-class background and fell into politics age 16 when he joined a campaign to save his grammar school. This book is the story of how a boy from Salford came to be the definitive political insider. With unique access to every key decision-maker of the past fourteen years, it offers insights into the character and choices of successive Prime Ministers and the administrations they led. Ultimately, it reveals where our most recent leadership failures originate, and asks hard questions about who will be fit to lead us tomorrow.