This spirited, unauthorized biography of the Mayor of London chronicles 30 years in the life of a controversial political chameleon who has been antagonizing, shocking, and delighting the British public and press in equal measure. After taking control of the Greater London Council through an audacious internal coup in 1981, Ken Livingstone's career was transformed in 2002 when he became the first directly elected Mayor of London as an independent in the teeth of a fierce campaign by Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell. Since then, he has secured the 2012 Olympics for London, introduced a controversial congestion tax on automobiles, and led the capital city during the dark days following the subway terrorist attacks. In May 2008, he is likely to face his greatest political challenge in the shape of Tory mayoral hopeful Boris Johnson.