Bertie Ahern, three times Irish Taoiseach, is often described as an enigma. He is credited for delivering peace to Northern Ireland as well as ushering in a more progressive, cosmopolitan secular state, yet he is still one of the most polarizing and contentious men in political history. Now, in this frank and revealing autobiography, he discloses for the first time what re
Bertie Ahern, three times Irish Taoiseach, is often described as an enigma. He is credited for delivering peace to Northern Ireland as well as ushering in a more progressive, cosmopolitan secular state, yet he is still one of the most polarizing and contentious men in political history. Now, in this frank and revealing autobiography, he discloses for the first time what really happened during his final weeks in power, as well as the toll that having his life—triumphs and scandals alike—played out in the public sphere took on his family and personal life. An ardent nationalist admired by European leaders, Ahern is undoubtedly an indelible presence in Irish history for the role he played in the negotiation of the Belfast agreement, his work with Bill Clinton and Tony Blair on the Good Friday agreement, and his presidency of the European Council in 2004. Here, for the first time, is the truth behind the man who is Bertie.
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Hardcover
,
372 pages
Published
November 1st 2009
by Random House UK
(first published 2009)