Paddy Ashdowns autobiography was hailed as one of the most readable & exciting political life stories ever written of all
- precisely because it was so very much more. This is the autobiography of an old-fashioned Man of Action an adventurer to be compared more readily to Fitzroy Maclean than David Steel. Ashdowns years as MP for Yeovil & leader of the Liberal Democrats pale alongside his time as a Royal Marine Commando in the Special Boat squadron as a spy on military service in Northern Ireland & Indonesia & then subsequently
- perhaps his finest & most heroic role as the UNs High representative in war-torn Bosnia. As one reviewer remarked: This must be the first political memoir to offer advice on the best way to execute a jungle ambush & on how to treat an open wound using red ants." Ashdowns appeal
- which explains this bookss hardback bestseller status
- is that he transcends party political allegiances & is seen as a genuinely honest & decent man unafraid to take on the hardest challenges."