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Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New: the definitive and most up-to-date biography from Australia's leading political biographer
A commanding biography of one of Australia's greatest and most visionary prime minsters by an acclaimed political journalist and author.
There has been no one like Gough Whitlam in public life - a charismatic, inspirational and visionary leader who ushered in a reform revolution to modernise Australia, which endures to this day. But Whitlam's immense self-belief, relentless determination, misjudgements and blunders were truly Shakespearean and help to explain his downfall.
Drawing on thousands of pages of newly discovered archives and interviews with more than one hundred people, Troy Bramston, Australia's leading political biographer, gives the most comprehensively researched account of Whitlam's life and career ever published. It is an epic story of triumph and tragedy, filled with revelations that will surprise and shock, and offers new insights into Whitlam's family and upbringing; wartime service and legal career; ascendancy through Labor ranks; prime ministership; and life after politics.
This is the definitive biography of Australia's twenty-first prime minister, and the first since his death in 2014, providing an unvarnished analysis of his achievements and failures, how he governed, and the dramatic story of his dismissal on Remembrance Day, 1975. Fifty years later, it could not be timelier.
PRAISE
'Brilliant' PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE
'A bunker buster of a biography, smashing through partisanship and legend in search of truth about our most controversial prime minister' LAURIE OAKES, former political journalist and author
'A fresh portrait of Whitlam emerges from this work, using previously unseen personal and official archives. Bramston gives a new take on Australia's most revered and reviled prime minister' SARAH FERGUSON, journalist and host, ABC 7.30
'Superbly captures the largeness of vision, formidable achievement and the flaws and failures of Whitlam. Affectionate and critical, and on a grand scale worthy of its subject, this is a model biography' FRANK BONGIORNO AM, Professor of History at the Australian National University
There has been no one like Gough Whitlam in public life - a charismatic, inspirational and visionary leader who ushered in a reform revolution to modernise Australia, which endures to this day. But Whitlam's immense self-belief, relentless determination, misjudgements and blunders were truly Shakespearean and help to explain his downfall.
Drawing on thousands of pages of newly discovered archives and interviews with more than one hundred people, Troy Bramston, Australia's leading political biographer, gives the most comprehensively researched account of Whitlam's life and career ever published. It is an epic story of triumph and tragedy, filled with revelations that will surprise and shock, and offers new insights into Whitlam's family and upbringing; wartime service and legal career; ascendancy through Labor ranks; prime ministership; and life after politics.
This is the definitive biography of Australia's twenty-first prime minister, and the first since his death in 2014, providing an unvarnished analysis of his achievements and failures, how he governed, and the dramatic story of his dismissal on Remembrance Day, 1975. Fifty years later, it could not be timelier.
PRAISE
'Brilliant' PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE
'A bunker buster of a biography, smashing through partisanship and legend in search of truth about our most controversial prime minister' LAURIE OAKES, former political journalist and author
'A fresh portrait of Whitlam emerges from this work, using previously unseen personal and official archives. Bramston gives a new take on Australia's most revered and reviled prime minister' SARAH FERGUSON, journalist and host, ABC 7.30
'Superbly captures the largeness of vision, formidable achievement and the flaws and failures of Whitlam. Affectionate and critical, and on a grand scale worthy of its subject, this is a model biography' FRANK BONGIORNO AM, Professor of History at the Australian National University
1164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 7, 2025
My interest in Australian politics began in the late stages of Gough Whitlam's 1972-1975 Labor government. I was not impressed. Troy Bramston's biography of Whitlam reminds us how chaotic it was. The cabinet was too big. The Labor caucus over-ruled decisions. The bizarre Khemlani loans affair. The leaks. The bad appointments. Not to mention inflation, unemployment and strikes.
As Bramston argues, Whitlam’s flaws played a part in the administrative weaknesses of this government. He could be ‘vain, impulsive, moody and impatient … lashing out at anyone within reach.’ He didn’t build strong relationships with fellow MPs, or indeed with many people outside his immediate family. He could be a poor judge of character, most spectacularly that of John Kerr, who Whitlam appointed as Governor-General and who dismissed the Whitlam government on 11 November 1975. He was often reluctant to take advice - as Bramston shows Whitlam ignored multiple warnings that Kerr posed a risk to his government.
And yet Whitlam ranks among Australia’s most important prime ministers. Whitlam established the predecessor of today’s Medicare, expanded the welfare state to single parents, increased Commonwealth involvement in childcare, schools and higher education, introduced anti-discrimination law, implemented no-fault divorce, and started land rights for Aboriginal Australians.
Fifty years on, Whitlam’s importance is recognised by people (including me) who were glad to see his government end in 1975. The last volume of David Kemp’s political history of Australia is interesting on this, seeing Whitlam as an important part of Australia’s liberal project, albeit the ‘left’ rather than ‘right’ version of that project, in using government to create individual opportunity. Kemp was there in November 1975, working for Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser, whose strategy of using the Senate to defer passing the Budget ultimately led to Whitlam’s dismissal.
On Bramston’s account Whitlam had faults but also strengths – ‘ambition, conviction, determination, energy and resilience’ – that led to him becoming Labor’s leader, ending 23 years of Liberal rule at the 1972 election, and achieving much in only three years of government.
This biography has 600 pages of text and represents a massive research effort into the life of a man who lived to be 98 years old. Bramston interviewed Whitlam himself many times. He has what must be the final interviews for many people involved in the Whitlam government.
While his book has a lot of detail, Bramston has a talent for short word pictures of the characters in his tale.
Against precedent, Albert ‘Pat’ Field was appointed by Queensland National Party premier Joh Bjekle-Petersen to replace a dead Labor senator. Bramston sums up the slightly ridiculous nature of Field with this series of juxtapositions: ‘A French polisher by trade and a truck driver who enjoyed ballroom dancing and refereed soccer, he was a Labor Party member but a critic of the Whitlam government.’
Arthur Calwell, who Whitlam replaced as Labor leader in 1967, is described as ‘..now aided by two walking sticks, he had lost none of his indignation or hatred of Whitlam, which he would express in a shrill and cracked voice while peering through his thick glasses.’ Calwell as a metaphor for the decrepitude of pre-Whitlam Labor.
Overall, this is a readable and interesting biography.
As Bramston argues, Whitlam’s flaws played a part in the administrative weaknesses of this government. He could be ‘vain, impulsive, moody and impatient … lashing out at anyone within reach.’ He didn’t build strong relationships with fellow MPs, or indeed with many people outside his immediate family. He could be a poor judge of character, most spectacularly that of John Kerr, who Whitlam appointed as Governor-General and who dismissed the Whitlam government on 11 November 1975. He was often reluctant to take advice - as Bramston shows Whitlam ignored multiple warnings that Kerr posed a risk to his government.
And yet Whitlam ranks among Australia’s most important prime ministers. Whitlam established the predecessor of today’s Medicare, expanded the welfare state to single parents, increased Commonwealth involvement in childcare, schools and higher education, introduced anti-discrimination law, implemented no-fault divorce, and started land rights for Aboriginal Australians.
Fifty years on, Whitlam’s importance is recognised by people (including me) who were glad to see his government end in 1975. The last volume of David Kemp’s political history of Australia is interesting on this, seeing Whitlam as an important part of Australia’s liberal project, albeit the ‘left’ rather than ‘right’ version of that project, in using government to create individual opportunity. Kemp was there in November 1975, working for Liberal leader Malcolm Fraser, whose strategy of using the Senate to defer passing the Budget ultimately led to Whitlam’s dismissal.
On Bramston’s account Whitlam had faults but also strengths – ‘ambition, conviction, determination, energy and resilience’ – that led to him becoming Labor’s leader, ending 23 years of Liberal rule at the 1972 election, and achieving much in only three years of government.
This biography has 600 pages of text and represents a massive research effort into the life of a man who lived to be 98 years old. Bramston interviewed Whitlam himself many times. He has what must be the final interviews for many people involved in the Whitlam government.
While his book has a lot of detail, Bramston has a talent for short word pictures of the characters in his tale.
Against precedent, Albert ‘Pat’ Field was appointed by Queensland National Party premier Joh Bjekle-Petersen to replace a dead Labor senator. Bramston sums up the slightly ridiculous nature of Field with this series of juxtapositions: ‘A French polisher by trade and a truck driver who enjoyed ballroom dancing and refereed soccer, he was a Labor Party member but a critic of the Whitlam government.’
Arthur Calwell, who Whitlam replaced as Labor leader in 1967, is described as ‘..now aided by two walking sticks, he had lost none of his indignation or hatred of Whitlam, which he would express in a shrill and cracked voice while peering through his thick glasses.’ Calwell as a metaphor for the decrepitude of pre-Whitlam Labor.
Overall, this is a readable and interesting biography.
January 10, 2026
I was half expecting a hagiography but it was not. The book was fair and detailed.
January 6, 2026
Excellent, thorough, informative, insightful and so interesting. Balanced takes on Whitlam helped deepen my understanding of the man and his Government. A great legacy but helpful to understand what led you to his downfall. H
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews