Red Queen: The Authorised Biography of Barbara Castle

by Anne Perkins

Until the arrival on the political stage of Lady Thatcher, Castle was the most vivid, the most successful and the most controversial woman in British politics. A Labour activist from her childhood, she became active in party politics in her early twenties, whilst at the same time breaking into political journalism. Thirty years later she was the unexpected success of Harold Wilson's first administration, rising from a junior position to the inner cabinet in less than five years. But her radicalism, her flamboyant style and ultimately perhaps, her gender caught up with her and she was frozen out. Since her death at the age of ninety-one, she has been rightly regarded as a woman who could have achieved even greater power, had the boys' club cabal running the Labour Party not prevented her from doing so.

Genres: Politics, Biography, History, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Anne Perkins has been a leader writer, lobby correspondent and feature writer for the Guardian since 1997.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a hard slog through this political biography which I wanted to read after Miranda Richardson's magnificent portrayal of Barbara Castle in the film "Made in Dagenham" An authorised biography which did not in the event come out until after her death, it did not convey any particular liking of the author for her subject - not so much that it didn't pull any punches but more of a relentless low level criticism of her personal judgment. I found the minutiae of the inevitable machinations and compromises of politics wearisome although it was interesting to compare the account with how much I had taken in as a young child. It's also clear from the book (almost despite itself) that Castle was an interesting, complex and not easily categorised individual, and remarkable how many things that are important to me were promoted by her.

[Nicholas McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i hope somewhere there is a diligent and insightful PhD history student preparing a new biography of Barbara Castle. She is a fascinating figure crying out for a modern more feminist friendly interpretation of her life. Despite being an authorised biography, published after Castle's death I don't think Anne Perkins particularly liked or admired Barbara Castle. All perhaps she is over compensating for the authorised bit not wanting to produce a hagiography. Or perhaps a bit of both. There are a few too many petty criticisms and while Castle herself seems to have firmly resisted any feminist label the stuff she must have had to deal with as leading and often sole woman in Labour's leadership this element very underplayed.
That said it is a thorough and illuminating story of her mainly political life and offers insights into some of the great stories of the first Wilson government many of whose challenges and dilemmas are very similar to today's Labour government. History will tell if Starmer makes a better fist of it than Wilson did.

[William Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

An undoubtably resolute, provocative, and interesting character but Red Queen lacks the honey of an engaging political biography.