Downfall by Alan Mccombes

Downfall by Alan Mccombes

From prison cell to the political limelight, and back again, there is no doubt that Tommy Sheridan - tanned, handsome and armed with a soundbite for every occasion - was one of the most colourful figures in the drab, dusty world of party politics. Yet behind the charismatic exterior of the man who first came to public notice during the anti- Poll Tax movement and later led the Scottish Socialist Party to become a strong voice in the new Scottish parliament was a deeply flawed, manipulative individual whose own actions led to one of the most spectacular political downfalls in recent history. Written by his closest political associate for over twenty years, and based on a raft of documentary and eyewitness information, much of it appearing in print for the first time, this is the no-holds barred inside story of the rise and fall of one of the most fascinating figures in recent Scottish politics. Combining elements of tragedy, thriller and farce, it presents the stark, ugly truth behind Sheridan's victorious defamation action against the News of the World in 2006 and subsequent perjury trial in 2010, which contained some of the most dramatic courtroom scenes in Scottish legal history. Yet despite the lurid and sensationalist aspects of Sheridan's life and career, this is also a serious exploration of wider political and psychological themes which offers some salutary lessons at a time when public confidence in politicians has seldom been lower.

'The definitive account of Sheridan's political demise.. brilliantly written. Most tomes on Scottish politics are barely worth reading, but McCombes's offering deserves to be read far beyond Scotland' 

-- Paul Hutcheon * The Herald *

'This is a gripping tale, and one McCombes tells with a certain flare and an eye for detail' 

-- Gerry Hassan

'Alan McCombes’s Downfall is a riveting insider’s account of the Tommy Sheridan débâcle. Necessary and powerful stuff'

-- Alan Bisset

Alan McCombes is a freelance writer and journalist and previously editor of the Scottish Socialist Voice. A founder member of the Scottish Socialist Party, he was an executive member of the party and also its national press and policy co-ordinator. He lives in Glasgow.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781841587592
ISBN 10	1841587591
Title	Downfall
Author	Alan Mccombes
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Birlinn General
Year published	2011-06-06
Number of pages	352
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable