The political career of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, including his famous falling-out with the late Patrick Manning, and the events which immediately followed the 2010 elections have now been catalogued in his biography, From Mason Hall to Whitehall: His name is Keith Rowley.
However, at the launch on Saturday night which attracted a large crowd at the Radisson Hotel in Port-of-Spain, Bishop Claude Berkley and historian Bridget Brereton focused most of their address on Rowley’s early years. They described him a man who grew up with a personality which prized honesty and productivity.
“It emphasised don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t kill. Love your neighbours,” Berkley said.“There was no love for a lazy man.”
Berkley also teased the audience with pieces of information contained in the book, including several near misses, a glimpse of his love for his wife Sharon and an account of a “plot by a journalist.”
He said there was mention of Manning and their relationship in the early years, as well as Rowley’s version of what went wrong between them. Brereton, who said it was unusual to see biography from a newly minted sitting prime minister, praised the book for being handsomely produced, lavishly illustrated and well written.
She said while most readers would gravitate toward Rowley’s political career, the first half of the book, which dealt with his childhood and youth, was even more fascinating and valuable.
Rowley said his intention had been to have the book published prior to elections so people could have an idea of who they were voting for. “I decided I had to at least tell my story and I trusted myself to tell it.I discovered that the people I led knew very little about me,” he said.