An interesting, if flawed, account of the Labour years under Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Jones makes it fairly obvious he wasn't a fan of the previous leader, being very much in the John McDonnell camp.  He seems caught between two camps both politically and as a writer, unable to decide whether he is an insider reporting on events or a commentator looking on dispassionately. He is far better at the latter. The book is far better when Mr Jones analyses the period rather than simply repeating gossip. 

Unfortunately, the book does seem to have been written in a hurry and, given the latest shenanigans in a once proud broad church of people, massively underestimated the toxic culture of the right wing of the party, more interested in defeating it's own left wing members than creating a better society for all. More intent on fighting the battles of the late eighties than confronting the evils of austerity, cultural wars, the demonisation of those reliant on benefits, the creation of a cheap wage economy and a political culture so divorced from reality, it reads like the next episode of Game of Thrones. Nobody, least of all Mr Jones, could have predicted the volte face of Starmer and his colleagues in the parliamentary party over Brexit. From threatening a mass revolt and instituting a coup against Corby for his supposed lack of leadership during the Brexit debate to actually voting for the UK to leave the European Union....

Nonetheless, an interesting read and Mr Jones should be congratulated for tackling the subject. Inevitably though, kiss and tell books like this are overtaken by events. If a week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson  once said, then a year is an epoch. Shame this book has gone out of date so fast. Unfortunately, Labour's relevance has seemed to expire even more quickly. Under Corbyn at least they were thinking about the issues of climate change, gender equality, the role of education, citizenship in the 21st century and how to redress the gross inequalities in modern British society. Under Starmer, they have taken three steps backward past New Labour to the Kinnock era. The Corbyn years seem so long ago now....

As a fan of Owen Jones other works, namely Chavs and The Establishment, I knew what to expect when requesting to read this piece. 

Owen has a wonderful way of explaining things and opening up your unbiased subconscious mind to see beyond the arguments and digest facts in a way that makes them easy to understand.

This is an interesting and well written documentation of the battles in the left of Labour and the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn. It fails slightly for me because Owen Jones is always front and centre - it is after all his book - but therefore the narrative is why Mr Jones thinks or what Mr Jones sees - especially when he is interviewing people. There is a lot here that is interesting and it is a good insight into Parliamentary politics in Britain but I don't think it is the story of a “Movement” as there is little about rank and file members and how they felt/feel about Jeremy Corbyn. There is also a lot about how John McDonnell is wonderful. As a journalist, Mr Jones can write but for me the book had many contradictions and no heart. It reads like a justification.

There are good elements - ironically when OJ is at the centre of something and can describe what happens. This is true of the Jewish debacle which cost Labour a lot of votes at the General Election and also lost a lot of hearts and minds. The descriptions seem genuine and it reads almost like Mr Corbyn couldn’t understand why people would think these things about him. But then he never explained properly why they shouldn’t. 

I enjoyed the read and I think Jeremy Corbyn comes through as a thoroughly decent bloke who had a strong, heartfelt ideology (unlike many current politicians) but probably shouldn’t have been leader of the party.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. I was, and still am, a supporter of the Corbyn project so the content was always going to appeal to me but I also found Jones's style incredibly engaging and well paced.

It is clear that Jones has conducted a vast number of interviews and this allows the book to feel well-balanced despite Jones's own ties to the project. It is insightful and thorough. These events happened in very recent memory so it's easy to think there's nothing new you could learn or that the material would feel too familiar to be interesting but the book is packed full of information and its timeline is well fleshed out which allows it to feel fresh even in its coverage of well-remembered events.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who really wants to examine the Corbyn project from all angles, including its failures. Despite its downfall, Jones is able to remain positive about the impact of Corbynism and his ideas for the future allow for a feeling of optimism.

This Land is a balanced review of British politics over the last five years, in which Owen Jones discusses the rise and fall of Corbynism, and how, in my opinion, how the Labour backbenchers sabotaged any success Labour could've had with Corbyn as leader. I found this a very good insight into politics and what goes on behind the scenes. It showed the importance of getting behind a campaign, and how easily the media can manipulate the public's views. Owen discusses what went wrong for the Labour Party and how things can change for a better, fairer future. 

It's not always black and white who's the real 'bad guys', but Owen's managed to dissect some key political moments in the past few years which enables the reader to pinpoint where things went right or wrong, and what the major turning points were.

Throughout this book I believe Jeremy Corbyn is presented in a reasonable, unbiased way. Highlighting the personality and passion that got him elected by Labour members, but also his faults. The book is well written, showing both sides of the story. I believe it is great read for anyone who is looking for a better understanding of what really happened in the 2019 election, in particular the driving force Brexit unfortunately had.

An interesting at the leadership of Jeremy Cornyn and how this has affected public perceptions of politics both positively and negatively.

I have always like Owen Jones and I found his previous books engaging and enjoyable whilst still being informative.

This Land is no different. As someone still relatively young and inexperienced in the ins and outs of politics, I found this book to be a comprehensive analysis of how things went wrong with Brexit and the Labour Party in the recent past. 

Although a much lengthier book than I would usually read when it comes to non-fiction, I am pleased I made the effort with this one as I have finished well informed and more importantly having a good and largely impartial analysis of the facts under my belt.

Although Jones doesn’t hide his left wing political leanings he is adept at writing in a way that acknowledges labours failings and can give and accurate analysis of facts. Something we need badly in this age of political spin.

I enjoy Owen Jones style and I am a labour supporter. Enjoyed this book...interesting read for anyone who want to know more about our current political agenda.

This book was written quickly, as the author admits in the opening pages. It mentions the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic, and the events the book relates only ended at the end of 2019, with the UK’s last general election. 
I like to read books and articles from different sides of the political spectrum, as I think understanding those you disagree with is important for a nuanced debate. 
With This Land though, I’m not sure what the point of the books is. Owen Jones is a left-wing journalist who was vocal about his support for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. In this book though, he is critical of Corbyn and his office. The book is written from the perspective of those who worked in his office, and of course, Jones’ perspective as a journalist. 
I found the book to be biased, with the ex-shadow Chancellor John McDonnell unable to do any wrong. 
Jones seems to be distancing himself from Corbyn and the anti-semitic accusations that plagued his later years in office. From my perspective, this seems to be the main motivation behind writing this book. It doesn't help either side of the debate, simply going over what happened over the last 5 years within the Labour Party and vilifying certain people within the movement.  
I also question how much of it is true. I don’t doubt that it is based on truth. But there are many passages within the book that relate events without any information as to how Jones knows what happened. He doesn’t state he was in the room at the time, and it doesn’t say who has told him this information either. There are some direct quotes from some people, but there are thrown in without much context. 
I was disappointed by this book. I expected a nuanced debate and some insights into how the project went wrong. Instead, it feels like a journalist reporting on what happened and little more. 
I’m not sure it’s a helpful book to read, at this point, to be honest. Perhaps if it had been published a few years from now, and the author had taken more time to make it a truly nuanced, evidence-based debate, it would be an interesting read. As it is, I can’t recommend it. Which makes me sad.

I have to admit that this book was a struggle. I am not one to give up on a book and will invariably finish at some point. Well I’ve ploughed through and finished (sort of) but I’ve returned it to my tbr pile to try again in the future as I’m not sure I’ve totally followed the concept. Perhaps now is the wrong time in view of the political complexities we are currently living through (too close to home is often uncomfortable) so I sincerely hope that I will gain more from a reread in less unpredictable times than I have this time around. I will be back but for now I sit firmly on the fence

This is a detailed, insider account of the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum and the impact on the Labour Party, Brexit and UK politics in general.  Jones had access to most of the key figures and tells the story (which is also the story of his growing disillusionment) well, if a little tendentiously.  Unlike John McDonnell for whom Jones worked before becoming a journalist, Corbyn does not come out of it that well - disorganised but passionate, principled but stubborn, even childish - 'you always knew he was in a bad mood because he'd always wear the green suit that he was told he wasn't allowed to wear", His advisers (Milne, ) appear even less well-suited to the kind of political fights they faced and Jones addresses the failures on Brexit, the 2019 election and, most egregiously, anti-semitism, while also capturing how the first phase of Corbyn's leadership really seemed to offer the prospect of change.  Although a more nuanced discussion of New Labour's legacy would have been welcome ('Blairite' is used a bit more frequently than is helpful), this is an important and compelling account of a fascinating and frustrating political period.

This was a very oiginal book about British politics in recent years. Quite interesting but unfortunately a bit out of date now but for those who enjoy this kind of theme it was a good book.

Its a really interesting subject matter, but I am afraid I thought this was a poor presentation. I think I may have grown out of Jone's polemical and hectoring style. And can I please pay NOT to have this author visit our store?

I’m a huge fan of Owen Jones after reading The establishment I was really excited to receive a copy of this. Last years general election was a frustrating time. Owen discusses what went wrong for the Labour Party and how things can change. This book is perfect for those like me who are interested in politics and a better and fairer society.

I was very interested to read this book, and it certainly didn't disappoint.  Whilst I am no fan of the Labour Party, nor of Owen Jones, this is a well-written and well-researched book, which left me feeling immensely sad.  Firstly that a man so manifestly unsuitable to lead the Labour Party could have been elected, and re-elected, secondly that Corbyn could have been so insensitive to how he needed to behave in order to lead the party, and thirdly that so many MPs were prepared to ruin any chances of the Labour Party forming a government for purely ideological reasons.  My only criticism is that the book is sometimes a bit long-winded, but die-hard political geeks will love it anyway.

This Land is a balanced review of British politics over the last five years, in which Owen Jones discusses the rise and fall of Corybnism. 

In 2015, Jeremy Corbyn, found himself in a race he never expected to win. He was a backbencher who was passionate about foreign policy and hated the limelight and adversity hence why he never intended to become leader. He ran for leader to make a point yet accidently found himself leader of the Labour party. Jeremy offered hope and a completely different way of living. After years of austerity, he became popular particularly amongst the younger generation and won people over with his ‘For the many not the few’ campaign, which led to the Labour party getting the highest vote share since 2001 and was the first time the party had gained seats since 1997. 

However, Corbyn’s success was short lived and when the next election came around in 2019, Labour faced their biggest defeat since 1935. Owen Jones explores why this was, noting Jeremy’s hatred of facing conflict, the poor handling of allegations of antisemitism within the party, and the poor organisation skills and lack of Communications strategy for the 2019 election. Whilst for those who did support Corbyn this can be hard hitting; through these insights Owen Jones hopes that Labour can learn from these lessons to avoid history repeating itself in future elections.    

Throughout this book I believe Jeremy Corbyn is presented in a fair way. Owen writes in a way which ensures Corbyn’s personality and passions shine through, showing him for the kindhearted and caring person that I believe he is, but Owen is not afraid to discuss his faults. The book is well written, showing both sides of the story. 

Overall, I found this a very good insight into politics and what goes on behind the scenes. It showed the importance of everyone getting behind a campaign, and how easily the media can manipulate the public. We don’t always see who the real ‘bad guys’ are, or equally who are the real drivers of a campaign, but Owen picks the past five years apart into so much detail that we can really pinpoint where things went right and wrong. Whilst, parts of this book were tricky to read (I found myself rereading pages to fully comprehend everything), I believe it is great read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what went wrong for the Labour party in the 2019 election.

I would like to thank Net-Galley and Penguin Press UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The latest book by Owen Jones takes you through the context of British politics in the 2010s, then discussion of Miliband, Corbyn, Brexit, anti-semitism in the Labour Party and the ideological split within the party. It goes through the rise and fall of Corbynism in a thorough, but not completely objective, fashion.

It was almost harrowing in places, for example hearing about the staffers' behaviour during the leadership contest, but quite funny in others (e.g. the bit with the jam).

Certainly an interesting read, but this book is so dense it feels like wading through treacle. I got to the midway point and I was convinced the percentage read on the app was wrong. The name of the book baffles me. This is the story of Corbyn and the Labour party, not Britain as a whole.

I would be more inclined to recommend this in an audio format instead of print.

I've tried to review this book on Amazon however due to the vitriolic comments for This Land, they have restricted customer reviews for this title. I am familiar with the authors previous works, Chavs and The Establishment, both of which I enjoyed, and this title is no exception. It is well researched and written, especially when you consider the main bulk of the work to have been undertaken during the strict lockdown earlier this year. The book follows the rise and fall of Corbynism, the inner machinations of the Labour Party, and how, both supporters of the Corbyn Project and opponents of it, contributed to its ultimate demise. Jones gives a balanced and objective view  which serves to cement my own view of why we are where we are in the current political landscape.

With everything that has happened in 2020, the General Election in December 2019 seems like a very long time ago. What ended up as a decisive victory for Boris Johnson concurrently resulted in the end of the road for Jeremy Corbyn's unexpected leadership of the Labour Party. In This Land, Owen Jones provides an insider's perspective into the Labour Party and critically analyses the successes and failures of the Corbyn years.

Being familiar with Owen Jones' work as a journalist, I was keen to read this book. I approached it with an air of trepidation as I expected Jones to be an overt apologist for the failures of 'the Corbyn project'. However, I was pleasantly surprised by fair-minded critique of the Corbyn years. Jones does not allow his inside experience to cloud his judgement of the ups and downs of the last few years. In fact, so much has happened since Ed Miliband's defeat in 2015 that this account feels like a rollercoaster ride.

I particularly enjoyed revisiting Corbyn's major high in 2017, securing the Labour Party's biggest share of the vote in a General Election since 2001. Jones really captures the excitement of a grassroots movement where the momentum (pun intended) came from the people. However, it is the behind the scenes insight into the backstabbing that characterised Labour under Corbyn that was most illuminating. Through interviews with a whole cast of characters, plus his own firsthand account, Jones does an excellent job and highlighting the inner workings and dysfunctions of the party.

Jones is fair in his critique of Corbyn, who comes across as a reluctant and indecisive leader. There's an element of sadness within the pages - a sense of what could have been had someone with more competence took the reins. From Brexit to ongoing antisemitic scandals, Jones leaves no stone unturned.

This is a great book for anyone who takes an interest in the inner workings of British politics or who is interested in analysing the chaos recent UK political history. Owen Jones is a good writer and just about manages to leave his own bias to one side. A worthwhile and important read for all sides of the political spectrum and with the shadow of the coronavirus crisis hanging over the end of the book, this felt like the appropriate time to read this one.

I really like Owen Jones' other books and am a supporter of the Labour Party so was intrigued by this book. It was so well researched and I found it fascinating.