A Life and a Half: The Unexpected Making of a Politician

(Hardback)

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The gripping, remarkably candid story of one mans unorthodox life before politics, from Labour minister and Sunday Times-bestselling author Chris Bryant

It is often said that the politicians of today have no hinterland, but then along comes Chris Bryant with a fascinating, frank, funny and moving account of how he became one Reverend Richard Coles

Before he was a politician, Chris Bryant was an Anglican priest, baptising babies and holding the hands of the dying. Before that, he manned the barricades in Latin America, and before that, he was the scared son of an alcoholic mother and an estranged father.

This is a no-holds-barred account of a ministers truly unconventional life before politics one that has left Bryant equally at home behind the altar, in sweaty gay clubs, on the hustings or the stage. With characteristic frankness, he recounts growing up in General Francos Spain, acting alongside some of the most talented names of the day as a teenager, and caring for his brother and mother as she descended into addiction. He ran the family home from sixteen, became ordained at twenty-four and came out as gay shortly after. And thats just the early years.

A Life and a Half tells a gripping story of bishops and actors, drag queens and pushy candidates, stuffed with moments of joy and hilarity and sorrow and abuse. All while tracking the landscape of late-twentieth-century British politics, from Thatcher to the birth of New Labour. It is a memoir like no other.

Reviews

Charming, unexpected, honest -- RORY STEWART
It is often said that the politicians of today have no hinterland, but then along comes Chris Bryant with a fascinating, frank, funny and moving account of how he became one; from young Conservative wannabe actor, Welsh-born, raised in Spain, to Church of England priest, to first out gay Labour MP in Wales. And all before his fortieth birthday -- REVEREND RICHARD COLES
Writing about his life thus far, Chris Bryants A Life and a Half is a terrific read, smart and reflective by turns. A life of reinvention, rich in struggle, survival and swagger, moving yet unsentimental. A book of laugh out loud encounters, deep pain and great encouragement. A book that says never underestimate the life journeys of our parliamentarians. I wonder if that courageous little boy, caring for himself, his mother and his younger brother could ever have imagined such a life. The work of care continues. Well done him -- ADJOA ANDOH
Chriss reflections on adolescence, the discovery of his sexuality and his path through modern politics are rendered with striking honesty and humour . . . Rich with anecdote, at times bittersweet, often wry, and always authentic -- RICHARD ARMITAGE
Riveting, raw and hilarious. Bryants honesty is a force for good. Humble and proud in turn you wont put this down -- HELEN LEDERER

Author Bio

Chris Bryant is an acclaimed historian of Parliament and a Sunday Times bestselling author. He has been the MP for the Rhondda (now Rhondda and Ogmore) since 2001. Between 2020 and 2023, he chaired the Committees on Standards and Privileges, which have guardianship of the Code of Conduct and adjudicate on individual cases. Bryant was the first gay MP to celebrate his civil partnership in the Palace of Westminster. Code of Conduct was an instant top two Sunday Times bestseller and The Glamour Boys won the 2020 Parliamentary Book Award for Best Non-Fiction. He currently serves as Minister of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.