All Out War
The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain's Political Class
by Tim Shipman
Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Shipman writes with the tempo of a reporter in the room, delivering a moment-to-moment account of the 2016 referendum campaign that emphasizes meetings, messaging battles and tactical gambits. Its useful part is vivid, granular reporting that turns political manoeuvres into readable scenes and a clear timeline of how events unfolded. Its chief limitation is repetition: the narrative piles up similar skirmishes and inside chatter, offering limited broad analysis, so readers seeking high-level synthesis or theoretical interpretation may feel shortchanged.
Read this if...
- •a political journalist covering contemporary UK elections who wants concrete examples of campaign tactics and how messages change under pressure — useful for scene-setting and instant anecdotes
- •a history or politics student drafting a timeline-based essay on 2016 who needs a detailed day-by-day narrative to anchor dates, meetings and turning points
- •a policy analyst preparing briefings on Brexit-era political dynamics who wants vivid episode-level material to illustrate how decisions were made in chaotic conditions
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the text settles into long stretches of campaign logistics, repeated meeting summaries and insider chatter — that mid-book grind is a common drop-off point
- •annoying if you prefer big-picture analysis or theoretical frameworks; the book is reportage-heavy and offers limited structural interpretation
- •annoying if you dislike insider gossip and personality-driven narrative; those elements dominate and can feel partisan or gossipy to readers wanting impersonal distance
'Tim Shipman's dispatches from the political front line are a must read’ NICK ROBINSONPolitics was turned upside down during 2016. This book by Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman is the first to tell the full story of how and why Britain voted to leave the European Union and how the vote shattered the political status quo.Based on unrivalled...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a political journalist covering contemporary UK elections who wants concrete examples of campaign tactics and how messages change under pressure — useful for scene-setting and instant anecdotes
- a history or politics student drafting a timeline-based essay on 2016 who needs a detailed day-by-day narrative to anchor dates, meetings and turning points
- a policy analyst preparing briefings on Brexit-era political dynamics who wants vivid episode-level material to illustrate how decisions were made in chaotic conditions
- you'll likely put it down when the text settles into long stretches of campaign logistics, repeated meeting summaries and insider chatter — that mid-book grind is a common drop-off point
- annoying if you prefer big-picture analysis or theoretical frameworks; the book is reportage-heavy and offers limited structural interpretation
- annoying if you dislike insider gossip and personality-driven narrative; those elements dominate and can feel partisan or gossipy to readers wanting impersonal distance
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 2 sources and appears in Most Recommended Books, Politics, and History.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Marc Andreessen
Co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz
“All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain's Political Class by @ShippersUnbound Inside story of how Britain decided to exit the EU. Economic selfdestruction or national liberation Repercussions to play out for decades.”
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.