The politician who admitted to inventing his own historical dialogue

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: He was a man of contradictions: a staunch animal rights activist who was accused of being drunk at the despatch box, and a military historian who confessed to fabricating the very dialogue that defined his most famous work.

Alan Clark (1928–1999) was a flamboyant and often controversial figure in British politics. A Conservative MP who served in various junior ministerial roles under Margaret Thatcher, Clark was known for his wit, irreverence, and a political style that his contemporary, Norman Lamont, described as the most reckless of his era. His career was marked by both high-profile ministerial posts in departments such as Trade and Defence, and significant scandal, including his role in the Matrix Churchill affair which led to the Scott Inquiry.

Before entering Parliament, Clark established himself as a military historian. His 1961 book, *The Don'ts*, offered a revisionist look at the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The work was highly influential but deeply contested. While some, like Field Marshal Montgomery, praised his ability to expose failures in generalship, others, such as historian Michael Howard, dismissed his scholarship as 'slovenly'. The book's title drew from the 'Lions led by donkeys' trope, a phrase Clark could not trace to a specific origin. In a moment of candor later in life, Clark admitted to inventing a dialogue between generals used in the book's preface.

Clark's political identity was defined by strong, often polarizing views. He was a vocal Eurosceptic and a supporter of animal rights, even participating in protests against live exports. However, his rhetoric was frequently criticized; he once referred to Africa as 'Bongo Bongo Land'—a comment he defended as a reference to Gabon's president—and his bluntness regarding the Common Market led to accusations of prejudice. Despite the vitriol from critics who labeled him 'sleazy' or 'callous', he remained a memorable, if iconoclastic, presence in the House of Commons until his death in 1999.

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