Out

The hotly anticipated final book of bestselling author Tim Shipman’s Brexit quartet. The Johnson Years to Rishi Sunak

'Magnificent… Pacy and packed with delicious details… Shipman puts you in the room… His analysis is sharp and full of insight… For those seeking a moment-by-moment insider history it will not be topped' FT

How did Boris Johnson supersede Theresa May to become Britain's Prime Minister? How did he pursue his promise to Get Brexit Done amidst multiple Brexit secretaries, repeated coup attempts and reshuffles, and an extraordinarily terse relationship with Brussels? What really happened in Downing Street – from the political choices to the party place settings – as the pandemic took the world in its grip? Out follows from May's resignation through to the tussles over the final Brexit deal, the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and our shortest serving PM ever.

If pre-Theresa May Westminster was largely obsessed with the clever idealism of The West Wing, marinated in the farce of The Thick of It, the parable of these years became Game of Thrones, the pseudo-medieval swords and shagging epic pitching warring factions against each other in the quest for the iron throne. At the centre of the action was Tim Shipman, chief political commentator for the Sunday Times, taking notes on the guts and gore and tears.

Out is a riveting, rambunctious account of the most dramatic years in modern British politics.

Reviews

A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Out is a magnificent work … pacy and packed with delicious details … Shipman puts you in the room with tremendous detail, with all the horror, swearing and macho loutishness… When Shipman raises his eyes, often in summing up a leader’s time in office, his analysis is sharp and full of insight… For those seeking a moment-by-moment insider history it will not be topped'

Financial Times

‘Filled with the same mix of serious analysis, gossip and eye-opening anecdotes as the first three… as he has done throughout the series, he does his best to avoid caricature, explain the tricky trade-offs faced by everyone involved and highlight politicians’ talents as well as their flaws. This is not an easy thing to do when you’re writing about Liz Truss'

The Times

'An Iliad of Tory misery, infighting and political failure covering the implosion of the Johnson, Truss and Sunak premierships’

The Times, A Book of the Year 2024

‘Magisterial… a wild ride through the rapids of Britain's unforgettable, disturbing Brexit years… a lively mix of high politics [and] low gossip’

Evening Standard

‘The definitive blow-by-blow history. I cannot imagine this account ever being superseded in its mastery of political detail. An important and often surprising book, one of lasting significance, and moreover a really good real’

British Journalism Review

‘It is addictive. The detail is jaw dropping and the narrative drive outstanding. These Shipman books are for the ages. Any future historian wanting to understand what happened will need this quartet'

Iain Martin, Reaction Life and Times columnist