Tony Blair has published his long-awaited autobiography which describes his battles with Gordon Brown, his fears for the future of the Labour Party and his use of alcohol during his premiership.
The memoirs, A Journey, went on sale in London at 8am with the former prime minister in Washington for Middle East talks and a White House dinner.
Mr Blair blames Mr Brown for losing the last election by deviating from the New Labour message, describes him as "maddening", but stresses that he respected many of his chancellor's strengths and qualities.
Mr Blair said it would have been "nigh on impossible" to have prevented Mr Brown succeeding him.
The ex-PM said Labour will face danger if it drifts to the left under its new leader, predicting an even heavier election defeat. And in a passage that may surprise some of the former premier's friends, he confesses he began to worry about his drinking.
Mr Blair writes of Mr Brown: "Was he difficult, at times maddening? Yes. But he was also strong, capable and brilliant, and those were qualities for which I never lost respect."
Page after page of the memoir, grouped in themed chapters rather than written in chronological order, catalogues disagreements with Mr Brown and the "relentless personal pressure" from the then chancellor for him to quit.
On his drinking, Mr Blair writes: "By the standards of days gone by I was not even remotely a toper, and I couldn't do lunchtime drinking except on Christmas Day, but if you took the thing everyone always lies about, units per week, I was definitely at the outer limit.
"Stiff whisky or G&T before dinner, couple of glasses of wine or even half a bottle with it. So not excessively excessive. I had a limit. But I was aware that it had become a prop."
Lindsey German, convener of the Stop The War Coalition, said Mr Blair was still refusing to apologise for Iraq. She said: "The book is trying to justify the unjustifiable. He is refusing to say sorry or express any regret. He also appears to be saying there should be a war against Iran."
Tony Blair has published his long-awaited autobiography which describes his battles with Gordon Brown, his fears for the future of the Labour Party and his use of alcohol during his premiership.
The memoirs, A Journey, went on sale in London at 8am with the former prime minister in Washington for Middle East talks and a White House dinner.
Mr Blair blames Mr Brown for losing the last election by deviating from the New Labour message, describes him as "maddening", but stresses that he respected many of his chancellor's strengths and qualities.
Mr Blair said it would have been "nigh on impossible" to have prevented Mr Brown succeeding him.
The ex-PM said Labour will face danger if it drifts to the left under its new leader, predicting an even heavier election defeat. And in a passage that may surprise some of the former premier's friends, he confesses he began to worry about his drinking.
Mr Blair writes of Mr Brown: "Was he difficult, at times maddening? Yes. But he was also strong, capable and brilliant, and those were qualities for which I never lost respect."
Page after page of the memoir, grouped in themed chapters rather than written in chronological order, catalogues disagreements with Mr Brown and the "relentless personal pressure" from the then chancellor for him to quit.
On his drinking, Mr Blair writes: "By the standards of days gone by I was not even remotely a toper, and I couldn't do lunchtime drinking except on Christmas Day, but if you took the thing everyone always lies about, units per week, I was definitely at the outer limit.
"Stiff whisky or G&T before dinner, couple of glasses of wine or even half a bottle with it. So not excessively excessive. I had a limit. But I was aware that it had become a prop."
Lindsey German, convener of the Stop The War Coalition, said Mr Blair was still refusing to apologise for Iraq. She said: "The book is trying to justify the unjustifiable. He is refusing to say sorry or express any regret. He also appears to be saying there should be a war against Iran."