The Ex Men: How Our Former Presidents and Prime Ministers Are Still Changing the World

(Hardback)

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The men and women who created today's liberal, democratic, globalised world order may now have left public office, but they have not retired. So, what are they doing, and how does it affect the rest of us

In The Ex Men, Giles Edwards sets out to answer that question, uncovering the many ways in which former Presidents and Prime Ministers continue to affect global public life.

From running international organisations to monitoring elections, advising companies and charities and giving hundred-thousand-dollar speeches, Giles takes us inside this often-hidden world. He has interviewed more than twenty former leaders, from Presidents overthrown in coups to winners of Nobel Prizes. He has spent time at their clubs and resorts, spoken to the people who work with them, and to the organisations and individuals who hire them.

But how much do they really achieve And does all this frantic activity amount to anything more than money-making or legacy-burnishing

Reviews

"The personal is political - as Giles's meticulous and engaging writing shows. What does happen to these men and women after the biggest jobs of their lives How does huge power change people, both for good and for bad The Ex Men is a much-needed look at the afterlives of these power players, exploring what they still fight for behind the scenes - and how that affects our lives - without us realising it." - Emma Barnett "In Giles Edwards the ancients of the world's political tribes have found their number one anthropologist. With insight and humanity, he analyses both their characters and their efforts to move the global influence markets in this fascinating study." - Peter Hennessy

Author Bio

Giles Edwards is a broadcaster, author and journalist. He produces and presents documentaries for BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and BBC Radio 3, ranging from news and current affairs to science and the arts. He has written three previous books, including Boris v. Ken and British Politics Unravelled.