Ken - Andrew Hosken

From the provocative biographer of Shirley Porter comes a comprehensive and fascinating account of Ken Livingstone's extraordinary life and career. For nearly thirty years, this controversial political chameleon has been making headlines, antagonising, shocking, and delighting the public and press in equal measure. After taking control of the GLC through an audacious internal coup in 1981, his career was transformed in 2000 when he became the first directly elected Mayor of London as an independent in the teeth of a fierce campaign by Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell.Since then, he has won the 2012 Olympics and led the capital during the dark days following the 7th July 2005 terrorist attacks. In May 2008, he's likely to face his greatest political challenge in the shape of Tory Mayoral hopeful Boris Johnson. Andrew Hosken charts a unique political career of a man often described as Britain's second most powerful politician - a story characterised by ambition, controversy and ruthlessness.