It has already been panned by the critics and lampooned by his political opponents but now Tony Blair’s controversial autobiography has become the target of a mischievous internet campaign.
Hundreds of people have joined a group on the social networking site Facebook calling for his memoirs, entitled, A Journey, to be placed in the crime section of all bookstores.
The group urges shoppers to surreptitiously move all copies of the book, which was released on Wednesday, in protest at the former Prime Minister’s record on Iraq.
A number of bookstores have already reported finding Mr Blair’s book in “inappropriate sections” including fantasy and true crime.
The Facebook group called “Subversively move Tony Blair's memoirs to the crime section in book shops" claims it wants to “make bookshops think twice about where they categorise our generation’s greatest war criminal”.
Within hours of being launched dozens of users had logged onto the site with many posting photographs of the book on the wrong shelf.
Euan Booth, 24, a trainee nurse from Oxford, who helped set up the Facebook group, said he saw it as a good way of registering non-violent protest against the former Prime Minister.
He said: “I'm not an activist, just a voter who is still furious that he is able to lie to the British people, day after day, but this time earn money from it.
“This is a peaceful and mischievous way of making your point if you feel the same way. It’s a non-violent display of anger using the materials given to me – his book and the crime section – they're both there, I just put them together.
"It was pretty funny seeing the book still in the same section this morning when I went back in to check."
Another user Laurie Schram posted a picture of several copies among the nappies in a supermarket, writing: "No crime section at Tesco’s so I’ve put them with the wet wipes ... got quite a kick out of this."
Another had put it in the Dark Fantasy section of their local bookstore.
A spokesman for book chain Waterstone’s said: "We have not had any reports of this. The book is selling fantastically well from the front of the store and is also in the autobiography and politics sections."
Mr Blair is expected to be greeted by a large number of protesters when he attends a book signing at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone’s next week.
Customers wishing to get a signed copy of his memoirs will be subjected to tight security checks.
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