Geoff Hoon was a Cabinet Minister from 1999 to 2009 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, serving as Defence Secretary for almost six years in the course of British military operations in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was Leader of the House of Commons, Government Chief Whip, Secretary of State for Transport and was twice Minister for Europe. He was a Member of Parliament for Ashfield for eighteen years as well as representing Derbyshire for ten years in the European Parliament. He has been an academic both in the UK and USA, practised as a barrister and has had a commercial career as Head of International Business for a global helicopter company. As well as chairing a green energy business, he is also Chair of Trustees at Twycross Zoo.

“Superbly described and beautifully written , Geoff Hoon crafts an indispensable insiders account of New Labour and the momentous events in which he played such a distinguished and central part” – Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell “Giving a top job in industry to an ex-politician seemed something of a gamble at the time - but Geoff got on really well with both the British employees of AgustaWestland and their Italian counterparts, leading a multi-national sales force that successfully delivered helicopter orders all around the world’ –Graham Cole, Former Managing Director and Chairman of AgustaWestland Helicopters