The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat

by Andrew P. Street

A hilarious and deeply irreverent take on the political life and times of our twenty-ninth prime minister and his stumbling government.

The even more elaborately-titled sequel to The Short and Excruciatingly Embarrassing Reign of Captain Abbott, this is a tale of a muddling and middling prime minister and his attempts to steer his inertia-heavy government away from electoral disaster.

Fairfax columnist Andrew P Street details the litany of gaffes, blunders and questionable calls that have followed from the bold promise of mature politics offered by Malcolm Turnbull on the day he did Tony Abbott out of the top job.

Expect tales of submarines, GST rises, the joys of negative gearing, offshore tax havens and offshore detention, and a whimsical cast of Delusional Conservatives and Mal-contents, versus an opposition with a rich history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory - with the ever-present ghost of the ex-PM rattling its chains throughout.

This is a book that answers the question, 'Can a government win an election when its apparently not even sure if it wants to govern anymore?' With Malcolm Turnbull cast as Mr Harbourside Mansion by one of his own, who would have thought it could have come to this?

Here is a unique take on politics Australian style. You know, again.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, History, Humor

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Eve Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody combines pithy snark and plain straight FACTS like APS. The man is a national treasure. His ongoing commentary on Australian politics may be the only thing keeping me from flinging a shoe through my television during Q&A.
You see he's funny and gentle enough in his writing that while you DO feel the burn of righteous anger but it doesn't flare into a hot ball of outrage so that you incinerate yourself and your loved ones (probably while screaming "WAKE UP SHEEPLE!! CAN'T YOU SEE THEY'RE LYING TO US!"). The only bad thing I can say about this book is the title is very hard to remember when you're trying to recommend it to friends. “It’s like… Malcolm Turnbull and the guy with the hat… Whatever just google Andrew P Street and you’ll find it. It's ace.”

[Sam Schroder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I did a politics degree in the 90s, and I like to think I've got a reasonable handle on the whos and the whats and the whys, but the reality is that the political complexities of the current Australian two-party plus other parties mess had reached the point where I had actually ... stopped caring for the most part. But I'm a regular reader of APS's snarky rants for SMH and I felt guilty about never quite actually reading his first book so I made a point of actually obtaining this one (it's signed even) and reading it because the man just makes so much damned sense. There's always a worry, of course, with political commentators, that if you find yourself nodding and chuckling and reading bits out to your long suffering husband that perhaps, just maybe, the author is as bleeding heart lefty as you are. But he's NOT. He's just as snarky about the greenies as he is the Queen-lovers. He pokes fun at the far left, the far right and all the odd-balls in between. If you want a plain English explanation of how we've ended up in the political farce of post-election 2016, get your hands on this book, read all the footnotes (no, really) and thank me later. A laugh-out-loud, unputdownable delight.

[Nez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as grabbing as Andrew's first book, but definitely 4.5 stars for his witty comments.

[Benjamin Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly enjoyable (albeit terrifying account) of the first months of the Turnbull government, and the subsequent election victory in 2016.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can giggle at the state of Australian politics, you know you're onto a winner.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more than a sequel to The Short and excruciatingly embarrassing reign of Captain Abbott: it is a repeat of much of it. Abbott and Turnbull have been locked in enmity so the story of one is bound to involve the story of the other but I get the impression that Street so much liked what he’d written about Abbott he thought he’d give the best bits another run. That said, there is much to like, starting with the subtitle, which wonderfully describes Turnbull’s PMship. Street lights up the absurdities of Australian politics at this time in sharp relief, going back to the jettisoning of millions of dollars of American heavy equipment left on Manus (then the Admiralties) after WW2, indeed the whole asylum seeker cruelty, the incompetent antics of Treasurer (!) Morrison and so on. He explains in more detail little remembered events such as Stuart Robert’s private visit to China which he corruptly masqueraded as an official visit to his private profit, earning him the sack by Turnbull, but when Morison was PM he returned his Pentecostal bestie to high places, putting Robert's incompetence on full display. The chapters giving the histories, financing and filthy politics of Manus, Nauru and Christmas island are very illuminating and should be read by everyone. Although controlled by Australia, what went on in Manus was said to be the responsibility of PNG, an attribution that is “a fig leaf for the hideous decaying scrotum of Australian offshore detention policy.” That says it all. Street dwells on the stupidity of Turnbull’s calling a double dissolution election in 2016 that had the predictable effect of drastically narrowing his majority to one seat and installing an unpredictable mishmash of crossbenchers in the Senate. Unfortunately, he stops at that point and in an Epilogue muses on the possibilities of what might happen next, basically forecasting Australian politics settling on centre right, after the extremities of Abbott and the DelCons. Completely wrong. We elected Morrison who is as far to the right as Abbott but unfortunately more effective. I would love to have read Street on the way Morrison shafted “his leader” but he stopped writing too soon.

[Kylie Purdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Short and Excruciatingly Embarrassing Reign of Captain Abbott so when I became aware of this follow up on Malcolm Turnbull I just had to read it. And once again, APS delivers. This man has such an excellent grasp on the Australian political scene and an ability to make it interesting and funny.
This book is full of moments you want to read out loud so others can share in - whether they want to or not. It is very much a book of we laugh or else we will cry.
While Street's two political books (his book about Australian music is also well worth reading)are about right wing political leaders, don't think he's some left wing toadie doing nothing but making the Liberal and National Parties look bad. No, he is more than willing to take aim at the Labor Party, Greens, Independants - hell if you are in politics you are fair game. Basically next time there's an election I want to be at whatever election party Street is at - I think it would be most fun!

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2015, as Abbott steered Australia from one folly to another, it is time for Turnbull to save the day! From an opposition leader to prime minister in the Australia, the equivalent of musical chairs of Westminster System, rife with backstabbing and whatnot, Turnbull tried his best to portray himself as a fresh face with progressive idea, compared with ancient Abbot. However, Turnbull soon walked into myriad of problems, from disgruntled Abbot and other Delusional Conservatives, conservatives from inside his cabinet (Morrison!), the boat people debacle, the failed double-dissolution election, angry Queenslanders, the list goes on and on. Other colourful figures also appear, like Bill Shorten, Cliff Palmer, Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon. As this review was being written, Turnbull already got himself into oblivion, which proves the total unpredictability of Australian Politics.

[Tony Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly entertaining. Andrew Street writes with a fair degree of humour and a larger degree of snark in pointing out the obvious - at least to those of us reasonably entrenched on the Greens / Labor side of Australian politics - pitfalls and own goals of the Coalition government in the period since Turnbull replaced Abbott as PM.

This book covers the period from the lead up to the leadership change through to just after the 2016 federal election. As is generally the case in political journalism, this book is far more critical of the Government than of the Opposition because they are, in fact, the ones in charge.

I haven't read his previous book on Abbott, but I certainly intend to. I expect the two books will complement each other nicely.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Street's earlier book about Abbott, & this one was just as enjoyable. His chronicles of the spectacularly inept, successive, Coalition governments of the twenty-teens makes me hope he completes the trilogy with a book about Morrison. It was during that blowhard's reign that Liberal incompetence peaked but things began to get much nastier. Street's wit is on display throughout & I chuckled regularly at his deftness at amusing pillory. I'm also a big fan of footnotes, as is Street, & these were fantastically entertaining throughout. If you prefer your political biogs to display a complete lack of respect for the subject, not that any had been earned, check out both of Street's books. Both of these men who would be Kings deserve everything they get from him.

[Kim Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm now far enough removed from the events leading up to and including Turnbull's time as PM that I don't get as upset by what went on, and this book made me laugh out loud and gave me more info than I perhaps needed. Some of it hasn't dated well (ahh, the benefit of hindsight) but this made me snort: "That Dutton had once been whispered about as a potential leadership contender by the right wing of the party was testament to just how shallow a talent pool it possessed..."

[Bill Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrifying from the first page. This one goes on your bookshelf labelled "horror". Andrew P dredges up the political equivalent of zombies and werewolves that we had tried to expunge from our memory banks. Not recommended for young children or adults with cardiac issues.

[Dominic · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those enjoyable, witty page-turners with a short shelf-life. I expect to see it in school fete trash and treasure for $1 within a year.

[Mark Chilcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny.

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent primer for anyone who wants to know more about the Liberal party in it's post 2013 election win phase. It's witty, informative and the foot notes scattered throughout the book are always interesting to read. I would recommend for political connoisseurs and curious readers alike.

[Loki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, that was good. A resolutely snarky look at Malcolm Abbott's first year as Prime Minister, with an equal opportunity savaging of the ALP (and PUP, and the Greens, and NXT) when the opportunity arises.

Read it for the insight, read it for the laughs (do not skip the footnotes), but bloody well read it. And ask yourself why we don't seem to believe that we deserve any better from our elected leaders.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

We laugh lest we cry. The period between Mr. Turnbull's ascension to the Prime Ministership and the outcome of the 2016 election is an odd one, but this isn't, I think, intended to be a cautious and careful analysis of the Government's performance, but rather a rollicking ride through catastrophe after catastrophe.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may be considered to be reading from 'within my bubble' but no one does snarky, insightful and founded in facts, political commentary like Andrew P. Street.