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How They Broke Britain

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How They Broke Britain

By: James O'Brien
Narrated by: James O'Brien
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Brought to you by Penguin.

‘Made me so angry I had to stop listening to it while driving. Superb’ THE SECRET BARRISTER

Something has gone really wrong in Britain.

Our economy has tanked, our freedoms are shrinking, and social divisions are growing. Our politicians seem most interested in their own careers, and much of the media only make things worse. We are living in a country almost unrecognisable from the one that existed a decade ago. But whose fault is it really? Who broke Britain and how did they do it?

Bold and incisive as ever, James O'Brien reveals the shady network of influence that has created a broken Britain of strikes, shortages and scandals. He maps the web connecting dark think tanks to Downing Street, the journalists complicit in selling it to the public and the media bosses pushing their own agendas. Over ten chapters, each focusing on a particular person complicit in the downfall, James O'Brien reveals how a select few have conspired - sometimes by incompetence, sometimes by design - to bring Britain to its knees.

©2023 James O'Brien (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Corruption & Misconduct Elections & Political Process Europe Politics & Government World Thought-Provoking Funny
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Critic reviews

How They Broke Britain made me so angry I had to stop listening to it while driving. Superb work (The Secret Barrister)
A damning account of how the country ended up in the current mess . . . O’Brien’s scathing voice provides a thorough record of the self-serving actions and pronouncements of those who have held power in Britain (Tim Jonze)
The most important political book of the year and a fascinating must-read for anyone who cares about Britain. Eye-opening, jaw-dropping, heart-breaking (Carol Vorderman)
O'Brien is a punchy and compelling writer. The book is fluent, engaging and thoroughly researched . . . O'Brien eviscerates all of his targets
A compelling, thought-provoking and illuminating read. O’Brien doesn’t hold any punches . . . It is a book that will make you gasp in shock, shake your head in bewilderment and wonder how any of this was allowed to take place in 21st-century Britain
[A] brilliant exposé of those who deliberately turned a once admired country into an economically poorer, lamentable parody of its former self: the Brexiteer neoliberal right, their Tory MPs, journalists and think tanks who inflicted such massive self-harm (Peter Hain)
O'Brien's new book confirms that not only are our politicians and their backers as corrupt and incompetent as you suspected they were, it's actually worse than that. And it's packed full of facts about Brexit, Think Tanks and Tory sleaze that will help you win argument after argument with your irritating relatives (Stewart Lee)
Excoriating (Jon Sopel)
It’s essential. It should make you angry. Fuming
Intelligent, forensic, devastating and shocking – How They broke Britain is as terrifying as it is brilliant (Peter Stefanovic)
All stars
Most relevant
A work of pure FACT… James has dotted every single I and, microscopically, crossed every single T. It’s like reading a Venn diagram of the corruption, nepotism, sleaze, traitorism, and evil that has been woven in to British society by the propagomists in this book. I had to take a hot bath after every chapter just to try and wash the stench of these utter barstewards of my skin.!! Thank you James. Keep fighting the good fight !

Forensic

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Read by the author himself, this is a clear and chilling account of how a minority in the media affects the way the government is run and how the public is regularly lied to and governed. It is an account of how the country is in the mess it is currently in.

Essential

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If you were angry before you'll be seething with rage after reading this meticulously researched work. While its an open secret that the brexit result was illegally bought and paid for not least by using social media algorithms to manipulate swing voters with alarmist made up and/or improbable propaganda organised by those that stood to personally gain. Its fortifying to hear JO'B's unbending arrows of rectitude targeting the goons that got us into this utterly lamentable divisive disarray and national foreclosure, championed by Mr Farage like an infected Admiral Ackbar hailing the EU as the Evil Empire with a token defense from ineffectual stormtroopers Cameron and Osbourne from the planet Wet Blanket. Boris gets an angry assasination and blunt dissection, the wallpaper roll cost number of 840 should be tattooed on Boris's head in the shape of Damien's 666. A great but depressing listen.             

Not so angry about it all, you will be...

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brilliantly researched and documented factors resulting in the mess of the UK today. Very well written and the performance is great; I liked the impressions😉

well documented history beautifully written and performed

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Usual great quality of writing.
Sad he had so much material to choose from really, but he’s never going to be short.
Love his style and clarity of writing.
Shame I have to wait now for another one.

Another excellent book from James O’Brien.

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