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A Journey by Tony Blair: Royal British Legion to receive all proceeds from book sale!
17 August 2010
The sums of money talked about from the sale of Tony Blair's memoirs are staggering, and astonishingly today it has been announced that the entire proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion; a charity that provides support for ex and serving members of the British armed forces and their families.
Tony Blair's book renamed recently from our published listing 'The Journey' to 'A Journey' is currently sitting in 8th position on Amazons best seller list, even though it will not be released until 1st September, is expected to be in the top slot during the pre-Christmas buying season. The deal for Tony Blair's memoirs was negotiated by Robert Barnett, who has previously agreed publishing contracts for Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Tony Blair has been heavily criticised for his decision to take Britain into the war in Iraq, with many families of killed and injured British servicemen blaming him personally for their loss. It has been the subject of public debate, how a politician can be allowed to profit from a war where it was believed by many to be at least unjustifiable and at worst, illegal. However it is not unusual for former Ministers and Prime Ministers to publish their memoirs; what is unprecidented is for the entire proceeds to be given away in charitable donations.
The choice of the Royal British Legion as the sole beneficiary must surely reflect the controversy of Blair's decision to go into the Iraq war, and regardless of Tony Blair's personal motivation, is a coup for the charity, which is set to benefit to the tune of a possible £8 million.
The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 by Earl Haig, who commanded the Battle of the Somme. It was a merge of four smaller charities and was granted Royal status on its 50 year anniversary in 1971. The Legion, as it is often fondly abbreviated, is best known for its Poppy appeal prior to the annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations that occur up and down the country, but its function is much wider. The main role is to campaign for war disablement pensions as an advocate for injured servicemen and their families. It also sponsors a website, www.civvystreet.org which helps to resettle ex-servicemen. The Royal British Legion has also led the research into Gulf War syndrome. It is believed that the boost to the charities funds from Tony Blair's memoirs will be used to build a rehabilitation centre for injured servicemen.
Publishers Random House have decided against the serialisation of 'A Journey', which means that advanced reviewing, the usual way of drumming up marketing interest in a book, will not be possible. Instead, certain sections of the book will be made available in advance of publication.
A Journey will retail at £25.00, but with limited 1st edition clothbound copies selling for £250. We are unable to locate any of the limited first edition books currently, but we are able to bring you the best prices for Tony Blair's book 'A Journey', using our price comparison service, and can tell you that it is available today from both Amazon and Waterstone's for half price.
I have to admit that it is a much more comfortable prospect to purchase the book now that the proceeds are not going to line the pockets of an already prosperous politician, whose decision making in the Iraq war have received so much criticism. It will be interesting to read the full rationale from the horse's mouth and see what lessons, if any, can be learned from history. Follow the link to view prices.
This is not the first time Tony Blair has published memoirs: back in 2004, he authored 'Tony Blair: In His Own Words, which offers an insight into his thoughts, leanings and persuasion during an earlier time, and perhaps without the benefit of hindsight.Tony Blair: In His Own Words, is still in print and available to purchase through many retailers. Again, we offer the possibility of comparing prices to ensure that you get the best deal.
