What do you think?
Rate this book
Letters to my Grandchildren: Lessons for the Future
Emphasizing the importance of the future and those who will live through it, this statement seeks to address the lessons that can be learned from the past. Striving to prevent the next generation from making the same mistakes as its predecessors, this recollection highlights those who struggled for justice and inspired the author in his daily work. Disentangling the real questions from the day-to-day business of politics, this autobiography lends strength to the two fires that have burned from the beginning of time—the flame of anger against injustice and the flame of hope.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2009
21 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Tony Benn
101 books74 followersAnthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1951 until 2001, and was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan in the 1960s and 1970s. After his retirement from the House of Commons, he continued his activism and served as president of the Stop the War Coalition.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 9, 2014
At various stages in my life a question often asked was "who would you most like to meet". Friends would say Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X. For me it was always Tony Benn. Its a travesty he never became Prime Minister. I truly believe our country would not be in this state If he had been running it. If only the next prime minister would pick up this book and take his advice. Oh well, I can dream..
December 20, 2012
A slightly mighty little book. I revisited and found it as moving as at first reading. Probably nothing earth-shattering unless you live a good part of your life surrounded by people unable to listen to or hear what others are saying or to take the time to stop and have a good think. And if we share some of those attributes ourselves it may just bring us up a bit short.
Tony Benn's humanity and integrity shine through and express themselves with warmth,compassion,political good sense, clear-thinking and..yes..wisdom.
The volume takes the form of a series of open letters to his 8 grandchildren. In them he shows at least as much interest in the future - their future - as he does in the present or the past. The sense of this continuum - another form of integrity - is a strength of the book.
Tony Benn's humanity and integrity shine through and express themselves with warmth,compassion,political good sense, clear-thinking and..yes..wisdom.
The volume takes the form of a series of open letters to his 8 grandchildren. In them he shows at least as much interest in the future - their future - as he does in the present or the past. The sense of this continuum - another form of integrity - is a strength of the book.
May 20, 2018
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The book was totally amazing and made me feel as though a dear Grandfather was relating words of wisdom to me.
The narration was wonderful and this is a story that I feel compelled to listen to a few times.
A great book and a great man who would have made a wonderful Prime minister.
I would have given this book ten stars if I could and would highly recommend.
The narration was wonderful and this is a story that I feel compelled to listen to a few times.
A great book and a great man who would have made a wonderful Prime minister.
I would have given this book ten stars if I could and would highly recommend.
March 14, 2014
Tony’s insistence that civilization thrives on rejecting injustices and constantly maintaining the hope of a better and more peaceful tomorrow has been a great motivator for young people, and people in general, to change towards a better world. His vision does not expire at a certain age, nor does it stop at the claims of cynics and pessimists of an unchangeable world. In fact, he says that “by accepting the world as it is you legitimise it and thereby become responsible in part for its iniquities.” Finally, Tony reminds us that “we have the power and technology to be able to resolve many of the problems the world faces and improve the lives of so many people.”
For the person Tony is, the life he has led, and the influence he registers in people’s lives, thanks are in order, and the best way to appreciate Tony’s work is to constantly strive for a better world.
For the person Tony is, the life he has led, and the influence he registers in people’s lives, thanks are in order, and the best way to appreciate Tony’s work is to constantly strive for a better world.
April 10, 2014
Reading Tony Benn's work is akin to having an older relative put his arm around you and say "Chin up, keep working at it". Very inspiring stuff from the last man I fully trusted in British politics. There is a vacuum now in politics, not just of honesty but also of integrity, which are two traits that are different regardless of their apparent similarity. Of course T. Benn would slap me round the head for my lack of hope, but there we are!
September 27, 2023
the postscript story ‘the daddy shop’ was really touching ! It never really occurred to me what the work-life balance was like as an MP.
Of course there was stuff in here I disagreed with, but Tony Benn is the type where you can disagree with him respectfully. You know he’s a signpost, not a weatherchicken.
Of course there was stuff in here I disagreed with, but Tony Benn is the type where you can disagree with him respectfully. You know he’s a signpost, not a weatherchicken.
August 26, 2024
4.25*
I regret not reading this sooner, because it had helped me reevaluate my political beliefs, and I think if I'd read it as a teenager, it would have helped me feel less hopeless about the state of the world
I regret not reading this sooner, because it had helped me reevaluate my political beliefs, and I think if I'd read it as a teenager, it would have helped me feel less hopeless about the state of the world
September 20, 2020
I’m on the opposite side of the political spectrum to Tony Benn but I wanted to understand him more and see him in a different light, as the family man and a Grandfather.
It didn’t change how I see the world and I still disagree with his politics but I’m glad I took the time to read it.
It didn’t change how I see the world and I still disagree with his politics but I’m glad I took the time to read it.
September 21, 2019
A lovely genteel book of letters Tony Benn wrote for his grandchildren from 2009, a time of New Labour, before Austerity, Brexit and when Obama seemed to offer hope that American Imperialism might be diverted.
I find as I age I become more and more aligned to Benn's points of views but even when I was at my peak of opposing Benn I always thought him the only decent MP that gave what his conscience told him direct to the government of the day and the people before checking with the spin doctors and pollsters. Benn presents that here in some crazy letters that start talking about the inane, refer it to a trouble in New Labour, throws in a quote from a chartist and leads to a grand philosophy of being in three pages of fairly large font. That said an enjoyable read, some great quotations of both Benn and those he has used and an introduction to thinking of the fundamentals of government, the people and power.
Skip the story at the end though. Seriously, what was in that pipe.
I find as I age I become more and more aligned to Benn's points of views but even when I was at my peak of opposing Benn I always thought him the only decent MP that gave what his conscience told him direct to the government of the day and the people before checking with the spin doctors and pollsters. Benn presents that here in some crazy letters that start talking about the inane, refer it to a trouble in New Labour, throws in a quote from a chartist and leads to a grand philosophy of being in three pages of fairly large font. That said an enjoyable read, some great quotations of both Benn and those he has used and an introduction to thinking of the fundamentals of government, the people and power.
Skip the story at the end though. Seriously, what was in that pipe.
October 12, 2021
Remarkable series of letters by an extraordinary politician. He is the friend I never had - and one of the greatest politicians of the 20th century, and perhaps in recorded history. I am factionless when it comes to the divide between the factions of the Labour Party, and I am aware that Benn represented the hard left, but there is no denying that he is one of the greatest politicians to have ever lived, and one of the only few MPs who have set foot into the Commons with the intention of doing what is right and good for humanity and our country.
These letters help you gain an accurate understanding of the inner workings and thoughts of the mind of Tony Benn, and these thoughts of the future and of the past, have taught me some valuable lessons for what is to come in the future of the politics of Britain and of our planet.
These letters help you gain an accurate understanding of the inner workings and thoughts of the mind of Tony Benn, and these thoughts of the future and of the past, have taught me some valuable lessons for what is to come in the future of the politics of Britain and of our planet.
December 26, 2021
What you get with Tony Benn is a clubbable, likeable writer that you can engage with. In my early years I still enjoyed Benn's writings and I wasn't a socialist. A guilty pleasure.
This wasn't his best book but was still very good. It is something we can take on board as we move into the future.
Socialism is not about levelling down but levelling up. It is about ensuring there are no foodbanks because people earn a decent wage and don't need to wreck their home life working every hour they can, strained by the uncertainty of zero hours contracts. It is about respecting others so we can respect ourselves.
This wasn't his best book but was still very good. It is something we can take on board as we move into the future.
Socialism is not about levelling down but levelling up. It is about ensuring there are no foodbanks because people earn a decent wage and don't need to wreck their home life working every hour they can, strained by the uncertainty of zero hours contracts. It is about respecting others so we can respect ourselves.
July 20, 2020
Gentle and Thoughtful:
Even though I might not always agree with his opinions he makes his points well. He clearly believes what he says and I remember him as a powerful speaker too. This is a collection of musings on the state of the world in the late 2000s. The sections on Europe are particularly poignant now. He writes as a kindly thoughtful and wise grandfather and I enjoyed every part of this.
Even though I might not always agree with his opinions he makes his points well. He clearly believes what he says and I remember him as a powerful speaker too. This is a collection of musings on the state of the world in the late 2000s. The sections on Europe are particularly poignant now. He writes as a kindly thoughtful and wise grandfather and I enjoyed every part of this.
June 25, 2017
Labour has a soul. Jeremy Corbyn may have resurrected it. Let's hope.
July 22, 2018
A lovely book from a great man, his warmth and humanity shine through every page. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his thoughts on many interesting and vital subjects.
October 28, 2019
Thoughtful, poignant and a legend of politics.
March 31, 2022
be a signpost not a weathercock
January 15, 2023
A series of 39 letters to his grandchildren with musings on lots of topics. Lots of great nuggets for thought and discussion.
October 27, 2023
The world will always be a far poorer place without Tony Benn in it.
March 2, 2022
I read this a couple of weeks ago seeking some comforting political viewpoints when currently surrounded by Boris Johnson and the Conservatives. I didn't know an awful lot about Tony Benn's politics before reading this book but I had seen him spoken highly of by other people I admire who are left-wing politically. In this regard the book did not disappoint, it was full of logical, caring policies and a stark contrast to what we are currently experiencing. The book is written as a series of letters aimed at Benn's Grandchildren with each letter covering a specific topic.
There is plenty about Europe in this book and arguments both for and against the European Union, obviously this book was written long before the referendum to leave the EU was even considered so it was interesting to read an opinion that wasn't surrounded in bias. However it was at points sad to read from today's standpoint of knowing that the United Kingdom has now left the EU.
If I was to criticise this book it would be that it is in parts out-of-date although this doesn't massively affect the books content and it is to be expected as the book was written in 2009.
I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting an easy to digest political read, Tony writes in a really accessible way which makes the book a straightforward read regardless of your current political understanding.
There is plenty about Europe in this book and arguments both for and against the European Union, obviously this book was written long before the referendum to leave the EU was even considered so it was interesting to read an opinion that wasn't surrounded in bias. However it was at points sad to read from today's standpoint of knowing that the United Kingdom has now left the EU.
If I was to criticise this book it would be that it is in parts out-of-date although this doesn't massively affect the books content and it is to be expected as the book was written in 2009.
I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting an easy to digest political read, Tony writes in a really accessible way which makes the book a straightforward read regardless of your current political understanding.
January 12, 2024
There is a long and tedious tradition in the British Labour Party of politicians starting out as socialist firebrands and ending up in the House of Lords. Tony Benn was a rare and refreshing example of someone who moved in the opposite direction. In the 1960s he was a sort of proto-spin doctor to Prime Minister Harold Wilson and a perfectly moderate cabinet minister (though, as the grandly titled Postmaster General, he did come up with a jolly wheeze to remove the monarch’s head from the postage stamps. Her Majesty was not amused). Benn says that he was radicalised by his experience of high office. By the mid ‘70s he was firmly on the Left and remained there over the following decades.
Benn was a compelling orator. He was also one of the great stand-up comedians. This might sound facetious but, as anyone who heard him speak will attest, he was extremely funny and clearly understood the effectiveness of humour as a weapon in the political armoury.
He was not, alas, a great writer. As this book demonstrates his prose is unremittingly flat and, on the page, the jokes have a tendency to fall flat also. The device of framing this collection of political essays as a sequence of letters to his grandchildren soon becomes strained, and then faintly embarrassing, as Benn shoehorns references to his grandchildren into discussions of imperialism or the global financial crisis.
Still, when Benn wrote this in 2009 the world was criminally unjust and going from bad to worse and, when I read it in 2022, nothing had changed. So everything Benn had to say then remains absolutely pertinent now. His hatred of injustice, distrust of the powerful, and faith in the capacity of ordinary people to create a better world continue to inspire.
Benn was a compelling orator. He was also one of the great stand-up comedians. This might sound facetious but, as anyone who heard him speak will attest, he was extremely funny and clearly understood the effectiveness of humour as a weapon in the political armoury.
He was not, alas, a great writer. As this book demonstrates his prose is unremittingly flat and, on the page, the jokes have a tendency to fall flat also. The device of framing this collection of political essays as a sequence of letters to his grandchildren soon becomes strained, and then faintly embarrassing, as Benn shoehorns references to his grandchildren into discussions of imperialism or the global financial crisis.
Still, when Benn wrote this in 2009 the world was criminally unjust and going from bad to worse and, when I read it in 2022, nothing had changed. So everything Benn had to say then remains absolutely pertinent now. His hatred of injustice, distrust of the powerful, and faith in the capacity of ordinary people to create a better world continue to inspire.
October 9, 2014
I quite liked this collection of letters. As they read, they come over as a collection of seemingly random thoughts. One common theme is the impact of politics upon our lives, and how we all suffer if there is no grand vision that is driving us forward. This is a view with which I can wholly agree. In too many cases, we find that people drift into the future because they have no vision of where they want to be. Normally, these are people for whom the future is not very good.
I am not sure that I share all of Tony Benn's vision of a good society, but I am happy to travel quite a long way down the road with him. A concern for poverty and injustice is common ground, as is a sense that we need to work to mitigate the worst effects of a changing climate. I am a little bit more ambivalent about the more pacifist tendencies shown in the book. I wonder if Tony Benn would agree that World War II was a just war to rid us all of the scourge of Nazism? That tends to be my litmus test for just wars. I quite agree with Mr Benn that the recent interventions in Iraq and Libya, and, possibly, Afghanistan, are a bit harder to justify.
These are letters intended for Mr Benn's grandchildren. They are musings on future possibilities. I felt myself a little voyeuristic in reading them because they weren't written for me. And yet, they were published so that I could read them. There are so many interesting thoughts packed into one small book that I am bound to come back to them from time to time.
I am not sure that I share all of Tony Benn's vision of a good society, but I am happy to travel quite a long way down the road with him. A concern for poverty and injustice is common ground, as is a sense that we need to work to mitigate the worst effects of a changing climate. I am a little bit more ambivalent about the more pacifist tendencies shown in the book. I wonder if Tony Benn would agree that World War II was a just war to rid us all of the scourge of Nazism? That tends to be my litmus test for just wars. I quite agree with Mr Benn that the recent interventions in Iraq and Libya, and, possibly, Afghanistan, are a bit harder to justify.
These are letters intended for Mr Benn's grandchildren. They are musings on future possibilities. I felt myself a little voyeuristic in reading them because they weren't written for me. And yet, they were published so that I could read them. There are so many interesting thoughts packed into one small book that I am bound to come back to them from time to time.
December 3, 2019
The book shows Tony Benn’s knowledge and kindness but yet at the same time his lack of knowledge on many things. Such as his views on climate change are very laced back because when he was writing this book I think he knew that he wouldn’t be alive to witness the real effects of this. But otherwise this book shows that he was very down to earth and a very intelligent clever man who was a great politician but yet, like we all do, he had his faults.
April 14, 2014
Enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. While not agreeing with all Ben's opinions he certainly provided a cohesive view of what he thinks. Was in particular agreement with his views on the development of the unelected Euro superstate and the dangers of this to us and world and European peace. In complete contradiction to what it was set up to achieve.
February 7, 2016
Tony Benn, as those familiar with twentieth century English politics know, was an ardent socialist and outspoken critic of neoliberal policies. This book reflects that view, with a message for his family used as a framing device.
April 2, 2021
A lovely book full of compassion and thought from a man of deep integrity and optimism. Recommended for everyone who thinks and cares about the world we live and the world we want to create. The chapters on the EC in particular gave me - a pro-european - a lot to think about.
May 4, 2016
Benevolence in it's purest, rare from a Politician! A man of such integrity is and will be missed.
Well worth the read - sheds light on many political subjects that are all too often murky/illegible.
Full of moral examples that just make one smile. A must read!
Well worth the read - sheds light on many political subjects that are all too often murky/illegible.
Full of moral examples that just make one smile. A must read!
September 17, 2010
This man should have been Prime Minister at some time in his carreer.
A true man of the people and a gentleman.
A true man of the people and a gentleman.
October 14, 2012
Hugely engaging, moving and inspiring.
December 1, 2013
Full of great letters from one of the good guys of British politics. The three pages of the letter 'Asking difficult questions' is worth the price of the book alone.
April 14, 2014
4 stars, if only for the warmth and compassion that shine through the book. The world will miss Tony.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews