Medium – Book
About the Book – Michael Spicer (‘M’) is the Secret Political Adviser – one of the head honchos at Axworthy, a never-spoken-of group who advise world leaders through the use of in-ear headphones when they are giving their most famous speeches. Working both in the UK and US, the group work with the world’s most volatile politicians. M lets us know his innermost thoughts on the key characters – which often aren’t particularly flattering. From Trump, who has turned the White House into ‘an Orwellian soft play centre’ to Boris Johnson, who is referred to as ‘a supermarket trolley of perished lettuce’. The book adds to Spicer’s fantastic YouTube channel, which I’ve linked below, and which was recently shamelessly copied by the Daily Show in the US.
My Thoughts – I really enjoy Michael Spicer’s YouTube channel, so I was super excited when I saw he had a book, and broke my resolution for the last part of this year, which was not to buy anymore books… but I am glad I did. The book is a series of letters, diary entries, memos, emails and texts, taking us through the years 2016-2020 which have been ‘interesting’ to say the least! The book takes us from the resignation of David Cameron (‘Cambo’) to July this year and the Coronavirus lockdown, via Trump, Theresa May, Michael Gove, Prince Andrew, and all the other people who have contributed unfavourably to the political scene of the last four years.
Spicer is a master of the beautifully crafted insult. One of my favourites is the one he uses for Dominic Cummings – ‘about as tough as a tortoise with food poisoning’. His comments on the whole Barnard Castle debacle are great and sum up what I think a lot of the world was thinking at that point. I also like the complete disbelief that the pronouncements and actions of our world leaders are met with – even from someone who is supposed to be ‘in control’ of their messaging and how they conduct themselves. Overall, an excellent book. Although I’m hoping the next five years will be less eventful and won’t require this kind of book… who am I kidding?
Please do watch Michael Spicer’s YouTube channel – it’s amazing!
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