Keating

by Kerry O'Brien

Paul Keating, visionary, reformer, true believer, rabble rouser, polymath, and our most intriguing prime minister bares his soul to the country's sharpest political interviewer, Kerry O'Brien.

O'Brien and Keating wrestle with history to produce a tour de force of political wisdom and personal insight that weaves through the Keating years in a unique and compelling way.

Building on the transcripts of the must-watch ABC TV event of 2013 - Keating: the Interviews - O'Brien has gathered an enormous bank of new material, gleaned during many hours of further conversation with Keating, to create a book that is more forensic and all encompassing than the very successful TV series.

Kerry O'Brien captures the hallmarks of the man - the nimble mind, the wit, the grandeur of vision, the complexity and the stubborn drive for power - as Keating explains the historic events, back room stoushes and moments of drama and pathos that the political world inevitably holds.

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

794 pages, Hardcover

First published October 21, 2015

Reviews

[Callum's Column · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The greatest compliment you can pay to the Australian public as a politician is to conscientiously include them in the conversation, and I was prepared through the tortures of the damned to lift the place up. And lift it up I did." This is Paul Keating's final line in Kerry O'Brien's phenomenal book on his political life. Keating was a visionary politician with the intellect and dexterity to advance Australia fair. His reforms as Treasurer during the Hawke years underpin contemporary Australia, and as Prime Minister he brought all the parts together—Mabo, fidelity to the unemployed, creativity and culture, the shift to Asia—plaiting the strands into a complete story.

I voraciously read this book despite it being almost 800 pages long. This is due to O'Brien's skilful editing of his interviews with Keating, which inform the text (O'Brien is one of Australia's great journalists), and Keating's adroit and humorous prose. Each chapter begins with a brief historical context that underpins the questions and answers filling the remainder of the chapter. O'Brien regularly challenges Keating's analyses, but the latter always gets the last word. The reader ultimately determines the veracity or persuasiveness of such claims. In my opinion, Keating has done more to shape Australia in the post-WWII era than perhaps any other politician (Whitlam and Hawke are very honourable mentions).

Australia has not had a truly visionary leader since Keating. Howard idolised a bygone Anglo-Australia, and the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd and Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison governments were blinkered by leadership turmoil, though the Albanese government has been somewhat more enterprising. It is a great shame that Shorten lost to arguably the worst Prime Minister in the modern era—Morrison. Shorten had both vision and the tenacity to achieve it—i.e., his recent reforms to the NDIS. Shorten campaigned on necessary tax changes to negative gearing, capital gains, and dividend imputation. Unfortunately, he lacked charisma. Keating would have been able to sell them as the "change we needed to have".

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[Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is important to me to capture my thoughts after reading this weighty account of Paul Keating's public life. I was desperate to finish it at the time of my paternity leave (to avoid needing to carry it with me back to work and) to help to clarify my own political leanings. As a public servant I spend most of my time suppressing any personal political leaning in order to maintain objectivity. But as someone who has experienced first-hand the operations of both sides of politics, I have never sat comfortably with observing in action the notion of left and right, labor and liberal. There is more nuance than these black and white lenses of ideology.

This book reminds me why I was so enthralled by the Hawke and Keating governments. Not out of any sense of love for the trade union movement, or left, socialist leanings. But rather, in my crude way of thinking - those governments were reformists, socially inclusive, economically-expansionary and outwardly progressive. Keating had a vision for Australia that was an integral part of the global community, but where every individual had access to the means to lift themselves up and to share in the resulting prosperity of his radical reforms. His predecessors and successors weren't always interested in the difficult task of implementing necessary changes and/or ensuring everyone can access the benefits of change.

Keating also had a significant ego and a disdain for the press/opposition. Whilst they are reasons people hate him, I couldn't help but admire those traits at the time he was in office, and they are more endearing to me today after successive prime ministers of lower quality. I secretly hope Malcolm Turnbull finds time to read this book and ponders what he hopes to achieve for Australia in the time available to him in the Lodge, and understands just how much effort is required to deliver on that vision.

This is a cracking read and I thoroughly recommend it to all. Particularly people that hate Keating.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

No surprise that I would give this book five stars. Keating is up there with Dylan for me, in that it is a privilege just to share this earth with him. Even if you thought you already knew it all; the way KOB frames the questions, coupled with the depth and honesty in which PJK answers them, is just so engaging and illuminating. The last 15 pages in particular, where KOB moves to 'more personal things' were fascinating. One for the ages.

[Kathy Fogarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope one day that someone gives Keating the kind of eulogy that Noel Pearson gave Whitlam (not too soon, mind). He was criticised in the lead up to the 1996 election for being too mired in policy with too little attention to the politics. One of those policy areas was indigenous policy, where he spent enormous amounts of his own time in negotiations with indigenous leaders and all the interested parties, turning the Mabo High Court ruling into workable legislation. He had a strong sense of justice and when he cared about something, he brought enormous amounts of passion and energy to it. He's one of a kind: gifted with a planet sized intellect and a passionate soul, a fierce drive to save us from the Tories and a killer wit. But naturally all of this came at great personal sacrifice to his family and to him: a beautiful image of laying down with his little daughter Alexandra who wasn't used to having her own room to help her fall asleep, falling asleep himself, and then getting up again at 9pm to a knock at the door to leave home and keep working on something of import. Kerry O'Brien was at his best in this book, needling away to try and get at the truth, and not let Keating off the hook with too much post-hoc revisionism. It's plain the two of them have regard for each other. I feel quite sated in my thirst for Keating history now.

[Na · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. O'Brien is an exemplary journalist, and applied his considerable skill to the task of interviewing Keating - no mean feat. Keating has long said that he will never write an autobiography, and O'Brien's work is likely as close as we'll get.

I am, traditionally, a conservative voter, and despised Keating for his arrogance and derogatory demeanour. But, times change, and looking back on how this country changed under Labor in the 80s, I have to admit it changed for the better. Current Australian politics is dominated by camera loving egomaniacs, hell bent on populism rather than doing the job that needs doing. How I long for the days where we had politicians of calibre. Keating is definitely a politician of calibre, and he served his country well.

Highly recommended.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seriously well written book about one of Australia’s most important and influential politicians since WW2. Honest, thoughtful, challenging and funny. A great read.

[Blamp Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

PAUL KEATING'S HIPSTER CAFE MENU
New takes on national dishes, crafted in our kitchen by P Keating

Keating outlines his approach to creating our menus:

NationsMenus get made the hard way. NationMenu-building is a hard caper and I had to make sure this slothful, locked-up place finally became an open competitive economy.

We try not to take offense at that!

****
Mains
Bespoke economy
Recreated from scratch. You'll be feeling like you've had surplus food just a few years after this!

Craft interest rates
Before Paul came along, the government set the interest rates. There was no place in the world for our sister (albeit much smaller) cafe, The Reserve Bank of Australia, which now sets interest rates, prints money and looks after all your transactions daily! They carefully craft interest rates, and are, in fact, a mainstay on our menu, like it or not. They threaten to change the menu monthly, but recently haven't bothered, since they're worried if they do that the menu will become just too inflated with, umm, things.

Banking smoothie
Prior to Keating coming along, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was government owned, and there were no foreign banks allowed into our cafe. Now, while it still looks like there's just four of them, that's almost certainly an optical illusion!

1990 Recession
You simply must have this.

Title
This is a native dish.

Smashed tariffs
Protectionism went too far, so we've basically removed it! Local industry sucked hard, anyway. Well, so we're told.

Dollar surprise
Would you believe, we've now managed to make our currency float? If that's not magic, we don't know what is!

Eight budgets
Including such classics as the One That Brought Home the Bacon and the 24-carat budget.


Items removed from the menu
Hawke
Mainly this man has been spotted sculling beer since his time as Prime Minister. Wasn't needed.

Banana republic
No, you don't want this....

****


We understand that not all items are to everyone's taste. Indeed, some people would hate every single item! Fear not, there's some more modern cafes around the place.
Frankly, though, there's been some absolute Ruddy nonsense since we were established in the 1980s, and some completely Howardly acts. Modern cafes might try to Trump ours, but take it from us -- we are without a doubt the suppository of all wisdom when it comes to cafe choices!








****

Kirribilli agreement
You found the secret item on our menu! Well done! You shouldn't know about this... But, oh well, now that you're here... yes, it is that agreement where Hawke pinky-promised to step sideways, take his name off the lease and pray for his bond back; all to give Keating a shot at the lease in Kirribilli House. This might be hard to digest, though...

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colossus

This guy is a colossus! Has more visionary ideas and observations than every PM since put together. The book is well written and I enjoyed the structure of historical lead-in followed by interview. Keating speaks for himself; uninterpreted and without political judgment. Recommended reading for anyone who has the misfortune of living only through the dreariness and insularity of Howard, the bombast of Rudd x 2, Julia's struggles and the eccentricities and stupidity of the Mad Monk. Jury out on the present one.

[Lachlan Moffat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty insightful on the reforms and economic policy of the era as well as of course the political climate, gives a thorough understanding of one of Australia's most unique PMs.

He also mentions Happy Feet.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's quite difficult to categorise this book. It's technically a biography, but I'd say 75% of the book is in Keating's own words, so I'd say it's more of an autobiography with masterful commentary by Kerry O'Brien at the beginning of each chapter.

This book is superb. I am young, I did not experience the Keating years first-hand, but this man was a real reformer. You gain an insight into the working of his mind, a glimpse of his genius. You also get a feel for his brimming confidence that occasionally bleeds over into arrogance. For a man that has achieved so much and changed Australia so fundamentally, I think that that arrogance is justified and can be forgiven.

I would recommend this book to anyone, from either side of the political spectrum, even from overseas. This is what political conviction looks like. Any politician could learn from this man. A visionary, a masterful and ruthless orator, and policy genius. That is Paul Keating.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent take on the economics and politics of the time

I don't think it matters what side of politics you may lean toward, it's undeniable that the Hawke/Keating area is one of the most fascinating from an economic and hence political perspective.

This really is an excellent book, both for the sections Kerry wrote 'setting the scene' for the interviews that follow and of course the insights of Keating himself.

Highly recommended for followers of #auspol

[Ian Muil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing - Kerry O'Brien managed a brilliant TV series interviewing Keating. It was obviously expertly edited. To Take all the dialogue in the entire interview and turn it into a book is cumbersome and unreadable.

[Miguel Vidal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the insights of the best prime minister in my lifetime.

[Jamie McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written book by O'Brien which showcases Keating at his best. Keating's anecedotes about his earlier years which demonstrate his zeal for the cause were inspirational, not to mention witty. I'm old enough to remember Keating's time in office and enjoyed his recollection of some of the bigger issues which were at play during this time, and in particular the way in which he always said it how it is. The world of politics would be a far better place today if only politicians did the same !

[Seb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read like it was penned by a TV journalist. I would have edited the shit out of this, hence why I am an accomplished history author and KO’B continues not to be one.

[Bruce McNair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Keating was Australia's Treasurer under Bob Hawke from 1983 to 1991, and Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996. He had a huge vision for Australia's economic future, believing that it had to be opened up. He was also a master of metaphor and the political put down.

From a working-class family in suburban Bankstown, he left school at 15 and took a job as a clerk at the Sydney County Council. He had an early interest in politics and joined his father in attending ALP meetings from an early age. Jack Lang was Keating's first mentor starting from when Keating was 18. Lang was NSW premier on two occasions in the 1920s and 1930s. His last government was dismissed by the NSW Governor in 1932. But he was a firebrand who created animosity and division. Keating admired his political style and learned a lot about early Australian politics from him. But Keating also sought advice from many captains of industry. Keating won the federal seat of Blaxland in 1969, which was about the same time that Gough Whitlam became the ALP leader. But the two were chalk and cheese - Whitlam was a silver-tailed university-trained lawyer, while Keating was working class and left school early. Keating was the last minister appointed by Whitlam just weeks before Whitlam’s dismissal - an event that Keating remains bitter about. He points out that this event ended any civility there may have been between the two main political parties.

As Treasurer, Keating presided over some massive changes to the Australian economy, including:
* Floating the dollar;
* Introduction of bank competition by allowing in foreign banks;
* Dividend imputation system;
* Overhaul of the tax system;
* Reduction of import tariffs;
* Deregulation of housing interest rates;
* Introduction of the cross-media rules with respect to ownership of TV and newspapers.

In 1991, Bob Hawke's popularity floundered in the face of a deep recession, and Opposition Leader John Hewson's Fightback, which was based on Thatcherite policies. In order to end speculation about the leadership, Hawke called for a leadership spill in December during which the ALP caucus voted against for Keating due to the falling polls.

As Prime Minister, Keating focused on micro-economic reform and repositioning Australia's place in the world. The most significant items included:
* Abolition of the centralised wage-fixing system and replacing it with the enterprise bargaining model;
* Introduction of the universal superannuation scheme;
* Expansion of standard gauge railway across Australia;
* Further reduction of import tariffs;
* An expanded APEC, turning it from a ministers’ council to a leadership group;
* Indonesia/Australia Ministerial Council;
* Native land title legislation;
* Outline for an Australian Republic;
* Sale of Qantas and Australian Airlines (previously TAA);
* Introduction of pay TV;
* Establishment of the Australian Competition and Consumer Council;
* Establishment of the National Electricity Market;
* Creative Nation arts policy, which included funding for the Internet (the Information Superhighway as it was called then), and separating the symphony orchestras from the ABC starting with the SSO and the MSO.

The book is divided into four broad time periods within which each chapter explores a different theme - these are generally in chronological order. Each chapter is prefaced by the author's description of the events surrounding that theme and followed by the questions and answers pertaining to that theme. Thus, it provides the author’s viewpoint followed by Keating’s own views on the matter. Much of the latter material was used in the televised interviews on the ABC.

Keating was definitely a large figure on the Australian political stage - loved by some, hated by others, and viewed with indifference by many, but then that can be said of many political figures (as Keating himself points out). His performances in parliament, where he revelled in demolishing opponents with his acerbic wit, are particularly memorable - many of which can be viewed on YouTube. But these performances were often viewed as arrogant, particularly by his opponents and the press. Despite his flaws, he presided over some of the most important transformational changes to the Australian economy, dragging it out of the closed dark ages into a modern open economy ripe for embracing the increasingly global economy. In summary, you have to admire the man for his achievements.

I give this book 4 stars.

[Warren Gossett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I like the voice of Paul Keating himself and of his interlocutor Kerry O'Brien. I appreciated better than before Keating's crucial role as Treasurer in the Hawke Keating years. I could see some of his failures when he was Prime Minister. Of course each reader will have his own views about such a controversial politician. So here is mine. Keating was Australia's best treasurer. He fought the hard battles to change our economic culture and our economic literacy. I only wish there were someone like him now to shake up Australia into living within its means as defined by the terms of trade and creative outputs that yield internal efficiency or external trade advantages.
I regretted that he was distracted from the economic task by ephemeral foreign policy goals such as APEC. Does anyone think China, the US or Japan is constrained by the structures of APEC? Worse was Keating's tilt to Suharto's Indonesia and worst of all was the desire to re imagine Australia as an Asian country. Perhaps this view could lead Samuel Huntington (in his 1993 article, The Clash of Civilizations) to question whether Australia was a "torn" country, unsure of its identity as Asian or Anglocentric. Or like Turkey, torn between Europe and Islam. This dissatisfaction led me to switch to the Liberals and John Howard, who are reliably pro Western and pro American (confession: I moved to Australia from America in 1980). All the same, Keating now is still much tougher on the economy and the need for fair reform than the dithering Malcolm Turnbull. In my view, as in Keating's, we need more digitalisation, automation, workplace flexibility, individually tailored education, and education in personal physical and emotional health. But I say whether we are a republic is irrelevant. There are republics called Russia, America and Iran. What counts is how smart we are about keeping a healthy and prosperous life, combining our labor and capital more efficiently. That is the best tip that Keating had. Kerry O'Brien's mix of biography and scene setting gives a marvelous view of Paul Keating, the prime minister that Australia had to have.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

They don't make politicians like that anymore.

This was a pretty daunting book when I picked it up, but there was something about the format I found quite compelling. Each chapter follows a similar format. Kerry O'Brien introduces the chapter, asks a question and Paul Keating answers, usually in great detail, whereupon O'Brien often asks a follow-up.

It's more of a discussion than an official biography, although it covers all major points of Keating's political career.

I came away from this book with a greater appreciation and respect for Paul Keating. I always liked him, I liked his vicious cunning watching clips of him in Question Time, his often devastating insults, and quick wit. But it took a bit longer for me to learn about his achievements as Treasurer and Prime Minister.

I don't know if this book will change any die-hard Liberals' minds, but it might change some of those on the fence that don't know much about him. In this book he comes across as confident and self assured but I don't think he reaches arrogance. At times he's even quite gracious to those you might think he'd have a good reason to hate.

One of the things I appreciate most is once he became Prime Minister he didn't want to play it safe, to do his best to please the public in tedious polls and media appearances. For better or worse he wanted to lift this country up while his opponents often wanted to drag it back to the 1950's. He was one of the most socially progressive Prime Minister's Australia has had, and he was going to use what was left of his political capital to improve the country, regardless of the polls. His vision was long term, not simply gazing ahead to the next election like so many others.

Kerry O'Brien does an excellent job of steering the conversation through each era of Keating's public life, encapsulating each time period with an introduction to the chatper. He's direct and to the point, but allows Keating to tell his story in his own words.

[Kendrick Eustaquio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up till over 4:30am to finish this book. It is that important to my education and understanding of Australia as a country and it’s political life.

If you want to understand what leadership is and how to run a country, particularly in the context of Australia’s shift from a conservative Menzian anglo-centric enclave in the 1950s and prior to a modern, economically competitive, social democratic, forward thinking, multicultural Asian facing nation, this is a book you have to read (unless you’re Keating yourself).

Even if you know nothing about politics or economics, this comprehensive book will give you a wide grasp of the issues that face a country such as Australia and the context, responsibilities and mechanisms by which a statesman would operate.

If you are an Australian or interested in Australia and you want to understand this country, you literally need to read this at least once. Unless you have a consummate or working understanding of the present and historical Australian economic and political systems, your opinions and comments would come from unqualified ignorance.

[Angus Cairn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m an unabashed Keating fan and reading this book in the current political left me sad for the lack of outward focussed visionary leaders we had but now lack. I was particularly interested in reading Keating’s memories of the recession years and why things happened the way they did. A very good book and well researched and written by Kerry O’Brien.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book exceeded my expectations. All 765 pages. It was one of those books that I would look forward to picking up and reading further. A totally immersive experience and an insightful read about Australian politics and how the economy works. My praise for this book is enormous, the information within so extensive, so much history within the pages.

The book is for the most part presented in interview style, with Kerry O’Brien as the interviewer and Paul Keating as the interviewee. It flows well and is relatively easy to understand, especially given that budgets and economics feature broadly throughout. Not surprisingly as Paul Keating was Treasurer of Australia under the Hawke Labor government for eight years and Prime Minister of Australia 1991–1996.

Paul Keating grew up in Bankstown (Sydney New South Wales), in a Catholic, working-class, Labor household, leaving school at the age of 14 to start his first job as a clerk with Sydney County Council, and was elected to federal parliament at age 25.

Passionate about high-end arts from an early age, one of Paul Keating’s great loves is his appreciation of classical music, “taking him into a comfort zone and rebuilding the soul”. And of course, his collection of antique French Empire clocks.

When asked how he acquired his fine collection of French Empire clocks, Paul Keating, then prime minister of Australia, described his method – “Most people catch antiques when they are tame, in fashionable shops. I catch my clocks while they are still wild, in out-of-the-way places.” - artnet.com

A man who had a way with words, impromptu cutting remarks just flying off the cuff, effrontery aimed at some of his political opponents, his clever insults known as ‘Keatingisms’. There is a plethora of them. I did find some of them quite amusing, although at the same time feeling some empathy for the unfortunate recipient. “He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.” – of John Hewson, leader of the Liberal Party 1990-1994.

Tenacious in his politics and visionary in his thinking, Paul Keating spent more than 26 years in Parliament, and over five as Prime Minister. As Labor’s longest serving Treasurer, he navigated profound economic changes, while as Prime Minister he legislated for native title and established compulsory superannuation. aph.gov.au

Early in Keating’s period as Treasurer, following his moves to deregulate Australia’s economy, he won the praise of financial journalists and from the business sector. Keating was dubbed the ‘World’s Greatest Treasurer’.

The late Bob Hawke AC GCL and Paul Keating were quite a formidable team. Described by Labor figures as the party's most successful period in government in its history and has generally been reviewed positively by historians for its degree of achievement.

Fun Fact: (i)Paul Keating managed an Australian instrumental rock band, called ‘Ramrods’ in the late 1950’s and 1960’s, who had a hit in 1961 with their version of the song “Ghost Riders in the Sky”. (ii) A guest group appearing with the Ramrods on two occasions was the Bee Gees and on both occasions, they were booed off. In the early 1960s their high falsetto voices were testing a new idiom. Hard to believe, the rest of course is history, they started a joke and look who’s laughing now.

[Venthan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The closest thing we'll get to a candid autobiography from this Australian political giant.

In line with Keating’s own well-publicised reluctance to publish a self-serving account of his life, O’Brien’s book departs from the standard Australian political memoir to read as an ongoing conversation that provides a renewed insight into the life of one of Australia’s most polarising yet effective political figures.

The book sheds light on the origins of Keating’s values that propelled him from the boy living in a fibro house in Bankstown to revolutionizing Australia’s economy and society at a critical period in its history. Keating reveals the ebbs and flows of his relationship with Hawke, the challenges of dealing with factions with the ALP and provides an insight into his fascinating mentorship under the renowned NSW Premier Jack Lang.

O’Brien does a brilliant job of recognising Keating’s expertise as a regimented political operator - allowing the parliamentary performer to candidly speak upon the notions of power, influence and rhetoric that typified his role as Treasurer and Prime Minister in successive Labour governments.Each chapter begins with O’Brien’s own musings about a particular time period or topic area of interest, before delving deeper into Keating’s own version of events in a series of frank, colourful - and often unabashedly honest - interviews with the Labor stalwart.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The framing of Kerry's questions and the depth and honesty that Paul answers them in (and then some) proves to be a powerful combination that explores the public life, power and relationships of a man that engineered the period of most powerful social and economic change in Australian history. Recommended to Australians that are looking for an expert insight into a golden age of Australian politics, that Kerry and Paul muse is now in the past due to the rise of career politicians and obfuscation of the landscape by the modern media.

[Rob Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An often times unputdownable account of Australian politics from the 1970s to 1990s and the strong economic and social foundations laid then for the prosperity of the 2000s. Plenty of hubris from the main protagonist but the probing questions from Kerry O’Brien makes sure the issues are well canvassed . Q and A style makes the journey through some intense detail somewhat easier . A must read for anyone interested in a thorough primer on Australian politics .

[D.A. Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a long conversation recorded in a book with each of the chapters particularly well set up by O'Brien to provide context. I learned a lot of new things about Australia's best PM (so far in my opinion) and there are some killer quotes. Keating was said to be a polarising figure, but irrespective of personal opinion, history shows him to be a big picture leader who radically changed Australia for the better. A long read, but definitely a good read.

[Josh Samuels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. It’s all interviews based on a tv show but it carries the same strength as Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell’s Power of Myth. Gives real insight into the thinking and leadership of a head of government.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read about a man who is one of the most important figures in recent Australian and world history. Perhaps the political equivalent of Geoffrey Tozer (see reference in the book). Thank you Kerry for this wonderful insight into Paul Keating and his times.

[Tim Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the life and thoughts of a visionary Australian leader.

[Michael Springer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You either liked the former Australian Prime Minister, or you did not, but one matter is certain, you will love this book.

[Wilson Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful.

Actually gives me hope in what leaders could be. I hope there is truth to a lot of what Keating has said, it does ring true. Ah well, time to read Howard's next ...