Dark Victory

by David Marr, Marian Wilkinson

This updated edition of a stirring account of the Australian government's handling of the Children Overboard affair and the Pacific Solution is a remarkable piece of investigative journalism. New information about the ways the Howard government manipulated the situation for its own gain is included.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Australia

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Eminent Australian journalist, author, and progressive political and social commentator. David Marr is the multi-award-winning author of Patrick White: A Life, Panic and The High Price of Heaven, and co- author with Marian Wilkinson of Dark Victory. He has written for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian Australia and the Monthly. He has been editor of the National Times, a reporter for Four Corners and presenter of ABC TV’s Media Watch. He is also the author of two previous bestselling biographical Quarterly Essays: Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd and Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott. His areas of expertise include Australian politics, law, censorship, the media and the arts. David Marr began his career in 1973 and is the recipient of four Walkley awards for journalism. He also appears as a semi-regular panellist on the ABC television programs Q&A and Insiders.

Reviews

[Shani Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me even more angry at our government than I already was.

[Meltique · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear unpacking of media and government spin on a topic that many have opinions on, but few understand.

[Chen Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is harrowing, pals. But is a must-read for every Australian resident. This is feels like a contemporaneous account of what happened slightly before Tampa, during and after that intersected with Howard’s legacy.

I wish Howard and all his cronies… nvm I don’t want to jeopardise my permanent residency applications.

[Anna Schuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about the Howard government’s cruel treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly into Howard’s second term. Still very relevant despite being published in 2003 - Labor quietly signed a $400m memorandum of understanding with Nauru in Aug this year.

[Martin Lilford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly this is interesting, even after so many years, for its deep dive into the details of media management during the Tampa and children overboard affair.
"It was the same to the very last. Each new sensation obliterated the last."

Also, it's always good to be reminded how impossible accurate communication is during a crisis.

And, Marr and Wilkinson manage to be very measured and accurate in describing the events leading up to the Pacific Solution. Inadvertently, perhaps, in giving eyewitness accounts of what some asylum seekers did do they do not entirely convince this reader that stopping the boats was a bad thing.

[Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

the contents of the book were something that every Australian should know:..

[Dulcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thankfully, I spent the time of Howard's governments posted abroad. On my return I found this country to be spiritually and morally the worse for 11 years of Howard's rule Materially wealthier may be but a more divided and meaner country than it had been
Without equivocation the base John Howard, the spineless Philip Ruddock and the ethically bankrupt Peter Reith are all unmitigated racist scum.
They successfully bullied our neighbours and set the ground in place for the horrific ideology of the lunatic Abbott & the worst Prime Minister we have ever had ( yes, including Gorton and McMahon) in the arch tool, Morrison.
Kudos to David Marr and Marian Wilkinson in shining a light on the dishonesty and grubbiness of the Howard electoral win in 2001.
Australia is a worse place for the likes of Howard and Co, the sooner they are all dead and gone the better.

[Raz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely thorough account of events, but jfc it was hard to read at times.

That's not a criticism of the writing, it's just that I spent so much of this book disgusted, angry and/or upset that I had to put it down a lot to process it.

I think this should be on school curriculums and every Australian should read it, but don't be prepared to enjoy it.

Now let me go find my Elvira autobiography, I need a palette cleanser!

[Peter McDade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into what actually happened.

A story of the plight of people and the response of the leadership in government. Truly behind the news insight. So easy to read.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a terrible book. Makes me ashamed to be Australian.

[Michael Cosmano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shocking, set the tone for a terrible period of government in Australia.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very truthful and well written story about the events surrounding the boat refugees saved by the Tampa. Marr & Wilkinson manage to weave together two stories, the story of the boat people and the Norwegians who helped them on the one side and the political background surrounding much secrecy and wrong-doing on the other side. Marr & Wilkinson are seasoned investigative journalists who leave the reader without doubt that this is an account based on well-researched facts and truths.