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Haven't You Heard?

Gossip, Politics and Power

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Haven't You Heard?

By: Marie Le Conte
Narrated by: Joanna Neary
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'The politics book to be seen with in these febrile times' - The i Newspaper
'How facts, rumour and mischief-making become the news we all obsess over' - Tim Shipman
'A cracking read! Treat yourself...' - John Crace

Ever wondered why the indiscretions of some MPs make the front page while others don't? How close journalists really are to politicians? Or how on earth the country is run when the British political system is in such a mess?

In Haven't You Heard?, Marie Le Conte looks at the role gossip, whispers and tittle-tattle play in all areas of politics - for the MPs and their advisers, the press who cover them and the civil servants in the middle of it all. From policy rows which aren't about policy at all and boozy nights with dramatic consequences, to people spinning their way to the top and dark secrets never seeing the light of day, Marie explores in great and entertaining detail the human side of the people running the country against a backdrop of political mayhem. Political Science Politics & Government
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A refreshingly accurate look at Westminster and how the people who work there affect how the country works. Not judgmental or sniping, just an honest analysis of people being people.

Frank and honest.

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The thing that stands out for me is just how much alcohol gets drunk. Ok gossip is more likely in social settings but lobby journalism seems to revolve around people getting drunk. Apart from that I didn't find anything particularly surprising. People tell stories for a variety of reasons but having said that what else is there to say. A light read

booze

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This is an interesting and well written guide to gossip. It’s very inside SW1 and if you don’t know what that means, this probably isn’t the book for you. The narration isn’t great though and some plain wrong pronunciations creep it. Pronouncing Celtic (the football team) with a hard c several times grated on me.

Good book, narration iffy

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The content of the book is great, giving a real insight into the detail of Westminster and how in particular politicians and journalists interact and how that shapes what the public gets to see, but what really brought it alive was the narration - it’s really dry and funny in its delivery which makes it such a pleasure to listen to.

Brilliantly insightful and hilariously read

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An interesting view inside the Westminster bubble. Thoughtful and informed analysis of the nature, functions and value of gossip. Excellent reader. I feel the publisher should've done a better job of removing occasional solecisms and the audiobook producers should similarly have ensured that mispronunciations were corrected.

Good but ...

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