Robert J. Hawke

by Blanche d'Alpuget

Reforms, becoming a folk hero and the first most popular Australian of his time. In the international labour organisation he led the workers of the Western world in opposition to atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the pacific, and was acclaimed as a fighter for human rights - and, champion of his great love, Israel. Hawke's devotion of Israel nearly destroyed his career. While he was president of the ALP he sought to heal its wounds after the sacking of the Whitlam government - and in his capacity as union leader he held back potentially violent industrial action over his most divisive issue. Those who read this biography will come to know Hawke intimately.

Genres: Biography, Australia

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Blanche d’Alpuget has returned to fiction with the publication of ‘The Young Lion’, the first novel in a compelling new series about the House of Plantagenet, the mightiest royal dynasty in English history.

An acclaimed novelist, biographer and essayist Blanche has won numerous literary awards including the prestigious Australasian Prize for Commonwealth Literature in 1987. Her previous novels include Monkeys in the Dark (1980); Turtle Beach (1981) which won the Age book award in 1981; Winter in Jerusalem (1986) and White Eye (1993). Turtle Beach became a successful feature film in 1992 and all her novels have been translated into other languages. Her non-fiction books include Mediator: a biography of Sir Richard Kirby (1977) and Robert J Hawke: a biography (1982). Her essays include Lust (1993) and On Longing (2008).