Lazarus Rising

by John Howard

Ex-prime minister of Australia John Howard's compelling autobiography. He has been one of Australia's most controversial prime ministers, leading the Liberal Party to victory over four elections and becoming the second-longest-serving PM in the nation's history. John Winston Howard is the face of the modern Liberal Party, an economic radical and social conservative whose ideology has united many Australians and divided just as many others. But what people often forget is that long before he became Prime Minister, John Howard was an idealistic politician. This book looks back over 30 years in politics, and at the changes Howard has seen both inside and outside the Government during that time. From his modest beginnings, to his steep ascent in Liberal Party ranks, and subsequent time in the wilderness during the Coalition's opposition years, to a victory almost no one had predicted, and on to some of the most tumultuous years in Australia's recent past, this is history seen through the eyes of the ultimate insider. Here, Howard tells how he responded on issues vital to Australia, such as gun control, East Timor and the relationship with Indonesia, the aftermath of 9/11, and the rising tide of asylum-seekers. LAZARUS RISING takes us through the life and motivations of John Howard, and through the forces which have changed and shaped both him and the country he led for 11 years.

Genres: Politics, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Australia, Audiobook, Memoir

720 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

John Howard waited a long time to become Prime Minister: by the time he won the job he had been in parliament for 22 years. Howard became Australia's second longest serving Prime Minister and during his term in office achieved nation-wide gun control legislation and significant reforms in industrial relations and taxation.

After eleven years in office Howard became the second Prime Minister to lose his seat in the House of Representatives while still serving as Prime Minister.

Reviews

[Callum's Column · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Howard served as Australia's Prime Minister for 12 years between 1996 and 2007. His political career spanned 33 years, and he is one of the most consequential politicians in Australia's history. As PM, the economy flourished, with an average of 3.6% economic growth per annum, record low unemployment, a reduction in direct taxes, the successful implementation of indirect taxes like the Goods and Services Tax, and budget surpluses in all but two years of his premiership. After gaining a majority in the Senate in 2005, however, the Howard government passed the massively unpopular policy of WorkChoices, which proved to be major part in his electoral defeat.

It is worthwhile to read the philosophical and political murmurings of a leader's decision-making that underpinned a nation's public policy. However, Howard's prose suffered from tautology, which was an unexpected flaw in this book. His defences of WorkChoice's and Indigenous policy were utterly unpersuasive. The public categorically rejected the former yet Howard lamented that the public did not know what was good for them. Howard refused to apologise for the Stolen Generations. He argued that a current government should not apologise for unjust policies of the past, yet apologised for the mistreatment of Vietnam War veterans decades after the fact.

Howard's Government militarily supported the United States' invasion of Iraq. Howard quite pathetically defended the manufactured evidence that Saddam Hussein harboured weapons of mass destruction. He further argued that it was in Australia's interests to support the US as an ally. This is patently false. Canada opposed the invasion and retained close ties. Similarly, the UK refused to send troops to Vietnam yet maintained their special relationship. The Labor Opposition opposed the war. The effects of the Iraq invasion are still unravelling. Howard's legacy ought to be rightfully tarnished by this decision.

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[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring key political figures in other countries can be a very exciting endeavour, especially for those who have a thirst for knowledge and willingness to examine unique political systems. While I have inundated myself with American presidents over the past number of years, I thought I would look to a fellow Commonwealth country and seek to better understand the life of John Howard, Australia’s prime minister from 1996-2007. In this comprehensive political and personal memoir, Howard explores his life and the great impact it played in his personal growth, as well as the important events that shaped Australia at the end of the 20th century and into the 21st. Howard divides his memoirs into three distinct periods, which serve well to differentiate time frames for review. To better understand John Howard, it serves to understand his initial introduction into politics, time on the opposition benches, and period as prime minister. While I will not try to be thorough in my examination, my skimming along the surface seeks to whet the appetite of the review reader to see some of the key highlights that leapt off the page. I seek, also, not to delve too deeply into the Australian political divide, which I realise can be quite significant. I had an Australian friend comment to me that I would surely not find much interest in Howard (in comparison to a single-term US president whose biography I read and reviewed recently), though I can honestly say this book has significantly contradicted that sentiment. The curious and dedicated reader who has an interest in parliamentary politics and foreign relations will certainly find something in the substantial memoir that Howards offers.

In his cordial style, John Howard dives right in during the opening chapters of his book to show how politics influenced him from an early age. Growing up against the backdrop of the Second World War, Howard witnessed the importance of Australian government policy from an early age, with food and petrol rationing to keep the country afloat. He discusses the deep-rooted Labor Party affinity his family held, based on the working class nature of his parents and grandparents. While Howard was not actively involved in the political process, he cites remembering going to the polls at a young age, as though the importance of democracy was firmly rooted into his psyche. It was when he left to study law at university that Howard became interested in politics, turning to the Liberal Party to meet his needs. Finding himself centre-right in his leanings, Howard found solace in the party and its policies, headed by Sir Robert Menzies, a popular and long-serving prime minister of the time. Working hard to keep the Liberals in power, Howard tested the water a few times, both federally and at the state-level, but failed to win a seat in either parliament. His dedication and determination to stick to his beliefs led him to finally win a seat under the Liberal leadership of Malcolm Fraser, another well-known prime minister. While serving with Fraser, Howard was promoted quickly, perhaps due to his attention to detail, and was soon given the portfolio of Minister for the Treasury, which, in Australia, provided him the opportunity to delivery the annual budget to Parliament. Howard discusses some of the important decisions that he was able to make during this time, shaping fiscal policy under Fraser and honing his skills as a potential leader in the future. Howard began to make a name for himself in Australia and the Oceania-Asian region during this time, while also clashing with some of the strong trade-unions and Labor Party Members of Parliament (MPs), who sought to contradict his pronouncements at every turn. While riding the high of serving in government, Howard could sense that Fraser’s wave might soon crash, turning a strong Australian Government on its head, left to the decisions of the electorate. That day came in 1983 when the Liberals were unceremoniously turfed from office after a double dissolution (Governor-General dissolved both houses and sent them to elections), leaving a Labor Party ready to negate much of Howard’s (read: Fraser) policies over the last number of years.

Howard’s time serving on the opposition benches proved quite effective for his future as Australian prime minister. Those familiar with the parliamentary system will know that there is always a ‘government-in-waiting’ or shadow cabinet, seeking to leap on any moment that the governing collective might gaffe significantly. Howard was forced to endure significant time as an opposition member, but did not do so idly. His past as Treasury Minister left him as the front-line critic of Labor fiscal policy, which sought to undo much of what he had done while at the helm. Howard did his best, while basing his criticisms in fact rather than ideological rhetoric, though it is impossible to divorce the two completely. Another aspect of time in opposition that Howard highlights relates to an Australian parliamentary adage, ‘there is much dry grass around a party leader’. In essence, a party leader is in the precarious position that anyone who opposes them significantly could toss the proverbial match and cause many issues. Howard saw the Liberals in this position on numerous occasions, as leadership questions arose and factions sought to remove Fraser. Howard tried to hold his ground and, while serving as deputy leader, saw the parliamentary party choose new directions repeatedly throughout the Liberal time in opposition (including Howard serving as leader twice). Without getting too academic here, Australia follows the British parliamentary system, whereby elected officials (in both the House of Representatives and Senate) are responsible for choosing their leader, rather than the party faithful. So, any disharmony could lead to a leader’s ouster at the drop of a hat. Howard weathered the storm here and discusses the repeated strains on his position as MP and shadow cabinet member, what with the numerous backstabbing efforts of the two factions within the Liberals. While not all that exciting for some readers, I found it quite interesting to see the struggles that rose behind closed doors and were reported in the media. When Howard ascended to the leadership role for the second time, Labor was on precarious ground, having turned to ideologically running the country, rather than putting the Australian people first. The election of March 1996 would prove highly interesting, with John Howard taking the Liberal troops into the battle of their lives.

The election of the Coalition (Liberal and National parties) again in March 1996 proved to be a turning point, not only because John Howard was at the helm, but because it ushered in a new era of Australian politics, one in which the newly-elected prime minister sought to shape the country in his own way. As Howard mentions in the introduction, this segment of the memoir fills 2/3 of the entire narrative, speaking to the detail and complexities of some topics discussed herein. Howard had served on the Government benches before, so this was not a complete culture shock, but leading a party (and country) proved to be much different than acting as a Minister. Howard recounts gaining his legs in a Parliament that remained someone in transition, having been led by Labor for a number of years. New policies and approaches had to be vetting through the parliamentary system and new faces meant trying to massage what was already a complicated parliamentary party into a workable and cohesive unit. The aforementioned ‘dry grass’ approach remained on Howard’s radar, though he did not make mention of worrying about it too often (save some jitters late in his parliamentary career). While Howard did serve through a number of elections, he chose not to take large segments of the narrative to describe the campaign trail, unlike what might be found in many of the presidential biographies and memoirs I have tackled in years past. Instead, Howard’s focus was to explore many of the key issues that arose during his time in power. Howard devotes much time to the debate over a GST (Goods and Services Tax), seeking to increase monies that could be used by the federal government and its state counterparts. The divisive nature of this tax seemed to fuel the debate for a 1998 election, where the electorate chose to keep Howard in power, thereby offering their blessing for such a significant tax. Additional issues of indigenous peoples treatment and the brewing debate over turning Australia into a republic received much discussion, the latter going to a referendum in 1999. Howard shows his colours as a strong monarchist and lays the groundwork not only for his party’s beliefs, but his own, which enriches the narrative and provides the reader with a better understanding of the debate. Seeking to help East Timor declare independence from Indonesia proved to be one of Howard’s first international dilemmas, but it would show his desire to put democracy and the stability of the region ahead of anything else. Howard also recounts his long-standing relationship with George W. Bush, with whom he first forged a relationship while he was in the United States during the attacks of September 11, 2001. Throughout the narrative, Howard returns to the importance of this America-Australia relationship, which served to balance the international political unrest at a time of much confusion. Likeminded centre-right leaders, Bush and Howard kept a close relationship throughout the former’s time in office, still speaking after they both left office. Howard uses his omnipotent view of the world political scene and experience leading Australia to offer some insights (and critiques) of leaders in both Australia and America, based on the actions he and Bush took to shape events. There is no shortage of issues that are addressed by Howard, including: the Bali attacks, immigration policy, Kyoto protocols, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and regional political cohesion. While those outside the Australian reaches might not fully comprehend the importance of these and many other topics, Howard offers interesting perspectives through the lens of his leadership efforts. By the time he left office, after Kevin Rudd and Labor swept back into power in 2007, Howard was ready to accept the decision of the electorate, though refused to disappear into the political wilderness. As a man still active in political and international statesman circles, Howard makes clear that he will always present his opinions, though not interfere with the elected officials running Australia in the 21st century.

While some were sure that I would find less interest in John Howard’s story than many of the American political biographies I have enjoyed, I feel strongly that this was an erroneous presumption. Howard lays out his story in such a way that the reader can easily comprehend what he is saying, without diluting the message. Not overly academic in nature, the reader should be aware that this is more than an Australian political primer. It addresses key areas of politics, parliament, and international relations as seen through the eyes of Howard throughout his political career. A general knowledge of the political system helps and a keen interest in learning is also an essential reader trait, but Howard discusses things in such a way that there is no need to have intimate knowledge of Australian history, both political and social. Howard’s approach is one that does not shy away from educating the reader, while also not pulling punches when it comes to those with whom he does not agree. Howard makes his political leanings known, which may trump some from caring at all. Liberal and Labor politics are surely as divisive as some of the political differences in my native Canada, but Howard is able to rise above, on occasion, and speak for Australia. That is not to say that he does not offer many potshots at the disarray that became the Labor Party in Government. His respect for the electoral process, democracy, and the right to alternate opinions shines through in the delivery of this information-rich narrative. Howard served long enough to have a strong opinion of world events and was in power during some of the most important world events in the last fifty years. The second longest-serving prime minister, Australians may not all have liked John Howard or his politics, but they should be proud to have had such a competent leader who sought to shape Australia’s place on the world stage. I know I learned a great deal and have developed a great deal of curiosity about a fellow Commonwealth and parliamentary-led country.

Kudos, Mr. Howard, for permitting me such an in-depth look into your life, particularly the political aspects. I am better for having this knowledge and you offer it up in such a way as to have whetted my appetite for more.

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[Kathy Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book I took with me on holidays when I needed something that would last me at least a week! And it did. Its a true 'weighty tome'. Having read Julia Gillard's biography I felt I owed it to the Liberal Party to get the other side of the story. And it's an interesting one. Howard writes very well and avoids being too overly self-serving. The political history which unfolds is really interesting and enlightening. Whatever your political persuasion by the end of it you can't help admit Howard was a true statesman, not just a politician.

[Kris Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mediocre prime ministers don’t last long in Australia. Either their party dumps them (if polls are bad with an election looming) or the electorate dumps them. The corollary is that Australia’s good and great prime ministers tend to have long shelf lives.

The first federal election in which I was old enough to vote was held in 1996. The Labor incumbent was Paul Keating. The Liberal opposition leader was John Howard. The latter won in a landslide, and it took 11 years and a silly policy to unseat him from the top job.

I am part of what the Sydney Morning Herald once termed ‘the Howard kids’, a group of late-generation Gen-Xers who despised Keating and the damage he did to the social fabric of our country. Keating’s brief reign in the early 1990s was a period of rising political correctness, bizarre obsession with Asian countries, and revisionist history that assured us everything we held sacred – Australia Day and Anzac Day for instance – was shameful.

When Howard was elected, he breathed some much-needed common sense and patriotism back into the national narrative. Leftist commentators hated his conservative social politics (the importance of family and mateship, bolstering ties with English-speaking countries such as the US and UK), but they went down a treat with the community at large. Many pundits point to Howard-era economic reforms as the secret to his success, but I believe his social policies played a much bigger role.

Whatever the case, only a fool would deny he was one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers and his autobiography, Lazarus Rising, gives a full and detailed account of his long life in politics. From spruiking on street corners in the 1960s, to becoming Malcolm Fraser’s right-hand man, to an eternity in opposition during the Hawke era, and then to his own long tenure, Howard barely leaves out a fact, incident or name. He was an inveterate diary-keeper, which explains both the book’s comprehensiveness and its epic size.

Much like the man himself, the prose is matter-of-fact and to the point (albeit wadded with passive voice). Howard manages to shatter many of the myths the hostile left-wing media perpetrated during his time in office and also sheds much light on his relationships with colleagues. Insights into his initially harmonious but gradually disintegrating partnership with Fraser, and his uneasy union of mutual benefit with Peter Costello, prove particularly enlightening.

But while Howard is candid and philosophical about the successes and failures in his career, he still appears blind to what caused his downfall. Yes, his reforms regarding unions and workplace contracts had allowed small businesses and the economy to flourish, but WorkChoices was a step too far in favour of employers. Even I, as a ‘Howard kid’, could see that. But Howard couldn’t. And in his autobiography, he still rails against the unions’ ‘fear campaign’, apparently oblivious that someone like me – who wouldn’t believe a single thing a union rep told me – was nervous about the implications of WorkChoices. Ignoring the electorate on this policy was an out-of-character moment of hubris for Howard, and it cost him dearly.

Lazarus Rising was everything I expected from Howard as an author: intelligent, factual, honest and statesman-like. Even left-wing book critics have conceded its integrity, so it surely must go down in history as one of the great political autobiographies.

[Rory · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christ what a duplicitous, self-serving mess. Obviously it is the nature of a political autobiography to be self-serving, but usually they're not this... bad. Howard in trying to paint this fantasy picture of his leadership, showing every situation to make himself look good, engaging in these long-winded ego driven descriptions of his actions ("Wonder down under" give me a break) just comes off as this incredibly smug, incredibly annoying, myopic weasel-man.

This book never confronts his racism, never examines the flaws in the Iraq War (the chapter on Iraq actually ends with “My attitude has not changed" as its own paragraph) he just maintains that the exigencies of "history" and shared "culture" require us to help out our "mates" no matter what. He spends most of the 600+ pages settling old scores. Be it attacking Keating as an "elitist", or engaging in a bit of character assassination with Costello. The worst bits are his constant resurrection of "The History Wars." That particular aspect is pretty pathetic, after a decade he's still fighting the same fight from his entrenched position talking about "national pride" and ignoring the past (i.e. taking responsibility for dispossession). This position's peculiarity is best summarised by Graeme Davison, “John Howard urges Australians to be ‘proud of what this country has achieved’, even if those achievements were not actually their own personal achievements; yet he seems unwilling to acknowledge the wrongs those past achievers also committed, or our own sharing in their consequences.”

Probably the biggest sin of this book is that it is just so dull and poorly written. Howard is such a humourless, self-involved sod that I couldn't help but feel an urge to throw the plodding hardcover into a creek as he engages in a disjointed ramble through the cobwebby synapses of his aged "conservative" brain. Never does the book change tone or variate, there's never any kind of humour or interesting anecdote, simply hundreds of seemingly identical insipid pages.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

At just over 650 pages, former PM John Howard's Lazarus Rising isn't for the faint hearted. Part political memoir and part apologetic for his government's 12 years in power, I found it an enjoyable read. I've not read a political biography before so it was a new experience and educative insight into the political process.

The book is divided into 3 parts dealing with Howard's early years and time in the Frazer government, his years in opposition and finally the Howard government, not surprisingly the longest section. Each chapter deals with a theme of his entire time as PM or specific events.

Howard writes with a simple, clear and direct style, mostly uncluttered but in a few places the language was a little convoluted. A number of chapters are a defense of his record and he carefully outlines the circumstances and rationale for decisions and summarizes them at the end. I found this mildly amusing as it reminded me of writing university papers for assessment. But he intimates at one point that, actually, he is writing for the historical record.

I was only young during the Whitlam and Frazer governments, so this was a fascinating albeit biased history. Being a mostly Liberal voter (although I have voted for nearly every major party at one time or another) and (largely silent) Howard supporter the inherent an justified bias didn't bother me. It's an autobiography after all.

He writes at length about his relationship with George Bush and sheds some light on Bush's awkwardness before the media. He also talks about his relationships with various Asian leaders, which came as a surprise to me. While some politicians are full of rhetoric, Howard was one to just get down to it. I had a lot of empathy for him in the final chapter which covers the Coalition's last year in government and their inevitable defeat in spite of their best efforts. His final assessment of that defeat was the 'it's time' factor. There are just too many stories to summarize, you'll have to read the book!

Getting the insider view of many of the events and decisions taken during his government was fascinating. No doubt others would take a different view of history, but I came away with a deeper appreciation for Howard, his approach and the complexities of political office. Even the things I disagreed with him on I could, on the whole, understand. Of course, there are contradictions, but not so many as derail the whole narrative of his career.

Lazarus Rising is an easy read, if a long one. If you enjoy politics or have an interest in Howard's career you'll most likely enjoy it.

[Brendan Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally! Seriously, if you get the audio book with John Howard himself narrating, it is quite advantageous to listen to it in 2x speed. You miss nothing and knock it over in half the time, so mercy be.

To the content. I have to admit my opinion of Howard has risen slightly from extremely low to very very low. I will concede he is a person who has stood by his convictions his entire career and the chapters covering periods where he wasn't in power are quite interesting historical accounts. In fact, his coverage of the Rudd dumping and the election loss is pretty much partisan free in terms of analysis.

The chapters covering his own time in power and the decisions and issues can be excruciating. I read this fresh after reading George Bush and both are full of self idealising and excuse making. He takes a lot of undue credit for future events as well.

I think the biggest target in the book is Peter Costello, i don't think there is a person in world that would be more affected by it than Costello. These internal machinations told were interesting and painted Costello to be an entitled spoilt brat.

Reading in the current environment, i shuddered at the support Howard gives Abbott. In fact, I feel sure it would have been written differently if it was written after an Abbott failure at the next election. There are a lot of contradictions demonstrated in the behaviour of Abbott to a lot of the comments of Howard about policy and political behaviour. If someone was to pay me, I would reread this and and make a heck of a lot of notations around issues raised by Howard as ideal being totally contradicted by Abbott. In addition, the parallels between the carbon price debate and the GST are remarkable in the similarities in the economic environment.

I could go on, but Howard did, so I won't.

[Michael Somerset · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dry and plodding book, much like the man himself. He barely mentions losing his own seat in the 2007 election, making him the 2nd Australian prime minister to lose his seat while in office. It obviously is a very sore point with him. He also fails to to give a proper retrospective look at how his Work Choices policy severely damaged his government's credibility.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first foray into political autobiography, and I could see my self reading more. 850 pages was a hard slog in a few places, but overall more readable than I expected. There is a lot of ground to cover in John Howard's long political career! The highlight was reading Howard's perspective of those significant moments in Australian history which have occurred during my adult lifetime.

[Shanon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm annoyed at myself for liking a book about politics. But it happened.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Howard's weighty memoirs do a good job of explaining his political genesis, evolution, and decision-making process. I never shared much of a cultural vision for Australia with him, but I feel I now have a good understanding of how his government managed to stay in power for almost 12 years. He clearly comes across as a pragmatist and someone fundamentally skeptical about change, but adept at policy movement as political tides change. I sincerely hope someone in the Labor Party paid attention - Howard perfected the art of sticking to the big picture while regularly fiddling with the details. Beneath the periodic, tiring pronouncements of Liberal vision and selflessness there's an impressive saga of political savvy and farsightedness as well as a solid introduction to Australian political history. On account of the historical overview, the book drags on perhaps longer than necessary, yet becomes a bit of a breathless list of minor setbacks during the 2007 campaign in the last chapters. I also found it odd to omit mention of any post-political goals (as far as I can remember.)

Several other reviewers have pointed out the heaped scorn for Costello and Keating. I guess some of the ire for his deputy relates to a mutual sense of betrayal and some to Howard's bitterness towards anyone who sets back the Liberal Party, even temporarily. The attacks on Keating seemed less necessary and mostly to do with VERY different sets of ideals.

Overall, a worthy, if long, read that offers good insight into a somewhat dull but very clever leader as well as much of the new Abbott government and the two recently fallen Labor leaders.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I'm already a little admiring of John Howard so necessarily my appreciation of the book may be biased, but the historical element I think more than complements his own personal views and aims. It was great to relive many of the events that I witnessed as a teenager, experiencing them from the PM's perspective. It was like an insider's view of the last twenty years of Australian history. This autobiography may not have the timelessness one would hope, but that is more a symptom of this age and its pace than Howard. A labor stalwart probably won't enjoy this book, particularly if they've lived through his prime ministership. Howard's reasoning for his policies around social justice might strike a labor or lefty as apologist and duplicitous. I for my part take what he writes as sincere.

[Eloise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, read by John Howard. It's 33 hours long, so would recommend listening at 1.25x speed.

Very comprehensive account, and interesting insight into some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of key political events during Howard's leadership. Not very reflective and very defensive (it's a political memoir I guess). Could have done with another round of edits to cut back on the waffle.

[Jason Willson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A true autobiography. At times it is tedious reading the self justification and opinions, but ultimately that is part of the charm of reading the personal reflections of those in public life - and it does ring true with the convictions expressed by the author in public life. A good perspective piece for the times of the Howard Government and those that followed directly afterward.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

He really is conservative isn't he? Howard's record of his government is great reading. His analysis of every other government is through the lens of his own conservatism. A long book, but worthwhile. He served his country well and did his very best

[Tony Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up there with the greatest Prime Ministers of Australia. It has been all downhill since he left politics. An interesting and factual account although quite dry reading.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but it was slow moving, espcecially in particular parts such as the 70s Labor/Whitlam bashing section which seemed to go on forever.

[Stacy Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

POLITICAL REVOLUTION THROUGH THE EYES OF SECOND LONGEST SERVING PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA

In this detailed, marathon long and important political autobiography one of the “most prominent Australian” and former leader of Liberal party Mr. Howard is sharing his views and experiences regarding political development during his youth and time he was politicly active.

Biography starts when Mrs. Howard was ten years old. He paints clear picture of his family and their orientation as a patriotic Australians. Both, his father and grandfather were casualties in first and second world war. Mr. Howard inside biography shares their stories and world war impact on Australia from his father and grandfather point of view. Politic was regular topic of discussions in his household and through book Mr. Howard shares “his own” passion regarding this topic and how politic influence his life.

Further through biography Mr. Howard shares political development in Australia and major events in political world through world especially in America and England where Mr. Howard spend years in his youth working as a lawyer before political engagement in Australia. Between describing many important world events and high profiles people in politics he shares admiration for leadership of Mrs. Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and assassination of John Kennedy. Event that shaked and shocked whole world.

Reading his biography further down he shares detailed information about major political parties, their political programs through different decades and impact on people of Australia plus he paints vivid picture how Australia changes during this time. He describes development of education in Australia, mostly Catholic schools. Some parts of book cover political stories and challenges that caught some major politicians: Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

Mr. Howard gain leadership in Liberal Party in 1995 and become the second longest serving Prime Minister of Australia. He used his rich political experience and knowledge sharing it for us ,Australian people, very generously through book. In my modest experience and same modest knowledge I will dare to say that Lazarus Rising is excellent title for this book . Mr. Howard is one of the most influential people in Australian politics and it is going to definitely stay one of the most influential people in Australian history.

It was my pleasure to read this book and learn about Australia on some new view for me as politic is not my field. I recommend this book for every Australian or person who wants to learn about our country, is interested in Australian history or has general interest or passion regarding politics.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I found this memoir insightful. At times it gave me a perspective I hadn’t considered before, and at other times it felt like an old man yelling at clouds—his frustration over fireworks bans being one example. What struck me most was that while I often disagreed with Howard’s views and many of his decisions, he was clearly a man of conviction. His respect for Tony Abbott, however, I found baffling. Abbott spent years sniping, undermining, and dragging Australian politics down, yet Howard still praised him.

Where I did find common ground was in Howard’s consistency of principle and his deep respect for Australia’s institutions, even when I didn’t share his political outlook.

I listened to the audiobook version, which I tend to prefer with memoirs—it feels more honest hearing the story in the author’s own voice. That said, I had to play this one at 2x speed to compensate for Howard’s very slow delivery.

[Zbigniew Zdziarski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating read into the politcal career of the 2nd longest-serving PM in Australian history from his perspective. But my goodness is it long-winded. Howard tells you everything he had for breakfast since his birth. For the political fanatics this is just what the doctor ordered. For those in the general public, it's too much. As a result I found myself skipping a lot. Having said that, his take on important issues (GST, boat people, Iraq war, Rudd/Gillard fiasco, etc.) is very interesting. I do appreciate Howard for sticking to his convictions, for having conservative values, and not being afraid to express them. For a politician he has semblances of a backbone. Having said that, once a politician, always a politicians. You have to sometimes take the things he says with reservation and a grain of salt.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this as a bit of listening material to soothe my insomnia, but it backfired (thankfully or unthanfully). After months of being held back by spotify listening hour limits, I have completed this behemoth. It was really fascinating to hear about the details of all the major events of my childhood. The wars, the efforts to curb domestic and international terrorism, as well as the background international relations with China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States during this time. Howard's own upbringing and adult life were also very interesting to learn about, including his commitment to morning jogs (oof).

I'll be excited to start Julia Gillard's autobiography as a bit of a continuation.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read through. Mr Howard's language is dry, and he often avoids his personal life. However, there were valuable insights into his political knowledge, including his relationship with George W Bush, entering the war on Iraq, his insight of the day of 9/11 while he was in Washington. There's also his views on China and on climate change policy from 7-15 years ago, which I think are the defining early views which shapes today's political debates.
Mr Howard isn't entertaining, and I'm not sure his book is for the people he claims to represent. He doesn't need to be entertaining, because you either take his knowledge, or you ignore it.

[Tonia Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard the audiobook version of this book, with John Howard narrating. Highly recommend the read.
It’s very interesting to hear and try to understand to a lot of situations John Howard was in (such as 9/11, the Bali bombings, etc).
Also how difficult it was to bring about change (eg GST, leadership challenged) etc.
Occasionally John does go on a little too much about how wonderful he’s is.
Highly recommend read

[Paul Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The biggest problem with this book is Howard's lack of any ability to be self-critical. He only manages to feign an attempt at this.
I guess this is an issue with the political autobiography genre as much as anything. It does tend to lend itself to longwinded efforts in self-congratulation, and this book is a tour de force in that respect.

[Michael Seselja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read. Even where I disagree with Howard (admittedly this isn’t the majority of the time) he comes close to convincing me that I would have done the same thing in his shoes. For all the hate Howard got he was certainly someone who understood the Australian people like few others could.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reminiscing about the different political issues I experienced as a youth and young adult from the perspective of an insider. Was disappointed that he wasn’t more objective about his own failures later on.

[Elizabeth Feeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely massive and is a big commitment. It is truly excellent though. Really insightful and written in an engaging way. I put off reading it for a long time because the size of it is truly incredible, but it was worth reading.

[Tony K · Rating 3 out of 5]

John achieved a lot and came from a humble background. An interesting and informative read.

[David Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gothic fairytale from the narrative perspective of the parochial puppetmaster.

Not particularly deep political or philosophical insights, but that's not really the point. It has a happy ending.

[Alisdair · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the ultimate hate read. i fucking hate this cunt. this is the diary of a madman. a true psychopath. evil incarnate.