Joh: The Life And Political Adventures Of Johannes Bjelke Petersen

by Hugh Lunn

A biography of Australian politician Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, former Premier of Queensland.

227 pages

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Aidan EP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A competent and readable explainer of Joh Bjelke-Petersens early life and the first half of his premiership. I’m a fan of Hugh Lunn’s writing from his excellent Vietnam War memoirs, and it was great to finally finish this (I started in October 2021, when I bought the book in a Longreach Vinnies) - it’d been so long that I started from scratch, but it was so readable and engaging that that wasn’t a problem. The biggest issue is that it stops at 1977 (because it was published in 1978); still ahead were a whole number of controversies that would eventually lead to the Fitzgerald Inquiry and the downfall of the National Party in Queensland.

Ultimately an aggravating read that shines a light on how and why Queensland is Queensland, with a focus on the man that helped make it so - the disgusting and disgraceful Sir Joh.

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queensland's Robinson Crusoe