Sailing Close To The Wind: Reminiscences

Dennis Skinner, the famed Beast of Bolsover, is adored by supporters and respected as well as feared by enemies. Fiery and forthright, with a prodigious recall, Skinner is one of the best-known politicians in Britain. He remains passionate and committed to his causes as on his first day in the House of Commons in 1970. In an age of growing cynicism about politicians, Skinner is renowned as a brightly burning beacon of principle. He has watched Prime Ministers come and go - Heath, Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major, Blair, Brown - and remains uncorrupted by patronage and compromise. Skinner's popularity was highlighted when a public backlash forced the current PM to apologise in Parliament for calling him a dinosaur. At eighty, Skinner offers a unique perspective on post-war Britain, resisting telling his extraordinary story until now.