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Plagued
This is the inside story of Australia’s two years of hell, when the country was besieged by crisis after crisis, and a rolling series of challenges and setbacks.
Much of what took place behind the scenes will astonish the public.
Plagued reveals how the critical decisions were actually made, decisions that will forever change the nation’s place in the world.
In early 2020, Covid-19 breached Australian shores, triggering twin crises: health and economic. The nation had not endured trials of this scale and impact since the Spanish flu and the Great Depression.
Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers – two of Australia’s top political journalists – were granted exclusive access to the crucial machinations of government at the country’s highest levels, not just within the corridors of power but also behind doors normally sealed. They delve into the depths of power and the cabinet room to reveal how decisions that would change the course of Australian history were actually made, but which did not prevent the federal government’s crushing defeat in the 2022 election.
Plagued chronicles a period of upheaval punctuated by the pandemic, natural disasters and political scandals within a world becoming more precarious with the rise of autocracy.
It is a story of profound political intrigue, one in which Australia, its politicians, public servants and institutions were tested like in no other period in modern memory.
Much of what took place behind the scenes will astonish the public.
Plagued reveals how the critical decisions were actually made, decisions that will forever change the nation’s place in the world.
In early 2020, Covid-19 breached Australian shores, triggering twin crises: health and economic. The nation had not endured trials of this scale and impact since the Spanish flu and the Great Depression.
Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers – two of Australia’s top political journalists – were granted exclusive access to the crucial machinations of government at the country’s highest levels, not just within the corridors of power but also behind doors normally sealed. They delve into the depths of power and the cabinet room to reveal how decisions that would change the course of Australian history were actually made, but which did not prevent the federal government’s crushing defeat in the 2022 election.
Plagued chronicles a period of upheaval punctuated by the pandemic, natural disasters and political scandals within a world becoming more precarious with the rise of autocracy.
It is a story of profound political intrigue, one in which Australia, its politicians, public servants and institutions were tested like in no other period in modern memory.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2022
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52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 6, 2022
If you came to read 'Plagued' expecting a journalistic hit piece of Scott Morrison's government, leadership and his secret ministries during the Coronavirus Pandemic, you will be sorely disappointed. Professor Matthew Ricketson of 'The Conversation' described this book as "political pornography," and truly this is the only way to describe 'Plagued.' In 'Plagued,' the reader is brought into a world where then-Prime Minister Morrison - the subject of the book - is the main character of the whole world. Morrison, in this fantasy world Benson and Chambers have created, can do no wrong; he is the victim of circumstance, he is wrongly interpreted by the rest of the world, he is the most perceptive geopolitics expert in the world, he is empathetic, a hard worker, and a man who sacrificed everything for his country. Similarly, his political rivals - most commonly cited as opposition leader Anthony Albanese, Victoria Premier Dan Andrews and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk - are impatient, belligerent, immature and selfish, who impede Morrison's goal of leading Australia through the Coronavirus Pandemic. What this results in, is a sycophantic, deluded and untrue retelling of the Coronavirus Pandemic under Morrison's government.
Benson and Chambers, as mentioned above, make no attempt to write in an unbiased fashion, which may fly in their columns at 'The Australian,' but come off horribly in book form. For example, pay attention to the amount of times the authors use the word "hope" in this book - once I realised just how much they used this word, the text was ruined for me. Other clear signs of their News Corp affiliation include their negative framing of any and all actions by Andrews, Palaszczuk and Albanese, compared with the positive framing of all actions by Morrison. This combination alone is enough to make one sick, but the sycophantic stance the authors take on all things Morrison and the Liberal National Party don't end there: they frame JobKeeper as a perfect policy (in spite of the millions of dollars wasted by corporations like Harvey Norman), Morrison as being a seer who can foretell how China will act, and the LNP as a party which united together during the pandemic, ignored political ideology and squabbles for the good of Australia. There is much more that could be said about the disgustingly blatant bias, hypocrisy and stretching of the truth that the authors engage in throughout this book, but I will leave it at this; this book is not far off of just being propaganda.
Now, on to the good parts of the book, of which there were some neat parts. I found the history the authors go into at the beginning of the book to be very interesting; seeing the similarities between how Australia responded to the Spanish Flu vs COVID-19 was really intriguing. I also enjoyed seeing insights into things like Morrison's opinion and relationship with Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson, all of whom reappear multiple times throughout the book for various reasons. Finally, if you can squint and ignore all the bias and garbage the authors try and sell you, seeing behind the curtain during the pandemic made for a very enjoyable story.
Professor Ricketson stated that 'Plagued' is an excellent example of why journalists do not make good authors; in trading their independence (unlikely as this is, being News Corp journos) for behind-the-scenes access, the authors end up creating a piece of literature which is nothing but sycophantic. This book is hugely flawed, but is still a worthwhile read for academics and those interested in Australian politics. Just know that you are in for 300+ pages of insufferable commentary by Benson and Chambers, commentary that is impossible to avoid once you get through the opening chapters on Australian history.
Benson and Chambers, as mentioned above, make no attempt to write in an unbiased fashion, which may fly in their columns at 'The Australian,' but come off horribly in book form. For example, pay attention to the amount of times the authors use the word "hope" in this book - once I realised just how much they used this word, the text was ruined for me. Other clear signs of their News Corp affiliation include their negative framing of any and all actions by Andrews, Palaszczuk and Albanese, compared with the positive framing of all actions by Morrison. This combination alone is enough to make one sick, but the sycophantic stance the authors take on all things Morrison and the Liberal National Party don't end there: they frame JobKeeper as a perfect policy (in spite of the millions of dollars wasted by corporations like Harvey Norman), Morrison as being a seer who can foretell how China will act, and the LNP as a party which united together during the pandemic, ignored political ideology and squabbles for the good of Australia. There is much more that could be said about the disgustingly blatant bias, hypocrisy and stretching of the truth that the authors engage in throughout this book, but I will leave it at this; this book is not far off of just being propaganda.
Now, on to the good parts of the book, of which there were some neat parts. I found the history the authors go into at the beginning of the book to be very interesting; seeing the similarities between how Australia responded to the Spanish Flu vs COVID-19 was really intriguing. I also enjoyed seeing insights into things like Morrison's opinion and relationship with Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson, all of whom reappear multiple times throughout the book for various reasons. Finally, if you can squint and ignore all the bias and garbage the authors try and sell you, seeing behind the curtain during the pandemic made for a very enjoyable story.
Professor Ricketson stated that 'Plagued' is an excellent example of why journalists do not make good authors; in trading their independence (unlikely as this is, being News Corp journos) for behind-the-scenes access, the authors end up creating a piece of literature which is nothing but sycophantic. This book is hugely flawed, but is still a worthwhile read for academics and those interested in Australian politics. Just know that you are in for 300+ pages of insufferable commentary by Benson and Chambers, commentary that is impossible to avoid once you get through the opening chapters on Australian history.
August 23, 2022
How is it possible that a book released four days ago has already not aged well.
August 22, 2022
I am almost tempted to mark this as fiction and move on, because it feels just like that. This book paints the Liberal party, but more than that, Morrison, Hunt and Frydenberg as people who are completely in control of the facts and have the tools and the people to solve every single problem Australia is facing, when history has shown us, they do not. The biggest failing of this book *by far* was sweeping under the rug that Morrison secretly assigned himself the Health portfolio and then wrote this off as cool and normal. I am at a loss of words for how else to describe this book other than to say I hope the authors and the publishers take a good hard look at their sources and don't report only one side of the story ever again.
September 3, 2022
This history of the Scott Morrison government's handling of the Covid crisis in Australia from 2020-2022 is very readable but incredibly biased on favour of Scott Morrison. He is exonerated for almost all the mistakes made in this period.
The book is still useful though because it presents the covid crisis from Morrison's point of view. I think Scott Morrison is the real author of the book, ghost written by friendly journalists.
The book is still useful though because it presents the covid crisis from Morrison's point of view. I think Scott Morrison is the real author of the book, ghost written by friendly journalists.
August 26, 2022
"Any independent, external observation could only conclude that it [The Morrison Government] had served the nation well."
Umm...
Umm...
August 27, 2022
Historic revisionism wrapped up as an overly gushing love letter to Scott Morrison.
Without a doubt one of the worst “political” books I’ve read. So bad it’s laughable.
Without a doubt one of the worst “political” books I’ve read. So bad it’s laughable.
December 8, 2022
I really was excited to read this book. I expected a balanced recount of Australia’s response to the pandemic and a thoughtful analysis of it.
Boy, was I sorely disappointed!
The whole book felt like it was ghostwritten by Scott Morrison and the Coalition Government to sell us (unsuccessfully) on why he was without fault and did no wrong with his leadership during the pandemic. There are indeed many things that the former Prime Minister did succeed in, in his pandemic response during his time in office. I’ll give him at least that, but at no point during the entire book was Scott Morrison adequately criticised for his prominent failures.
Having said that, if you ignore the blatant sucking up to the Liberal Party, it is a well written book that is quite readable. It provides insights into the justifications given by the leaders of the federal government throughout the course of the pandemic, at the very least. The first chapter that compares Australia’s COVID response in 2020 to that of Australia’s Spanish flu response in 1919 is also quite interesting.
In conclusion, if it wasn’t for the blatant bias of NewsCorp journalists. It might have turned out to be quite an interesting analysis, but alas we do not live in that universe.
Boy, was I sorely disappointed!
The whole book felt like it was ghostwritten by Scott Morrison and the Coalition Government to sell us (unsuccessfully) on why he was without fault and did no wrong with his leadership during the pandemic. There are indeed many things that the former Prime Minister did succeed in, in his pandemic response during his time in office. I’ll give him at least that, but at no point during the entire book was Scott Morrison adequately criticised for his prominent failures.
Having said that, if you ignore the blatant sucking up to the Liberal Party, it is a well written book that is quite readable. It provides insights into the justifications given by the leaders of the federal government throughout the course of the pandemic, at the very least. The first chapter that compares Australia’s COVID response in 2020 to that of Australia’s Spanish flu response in 1919 is also quite interesting.
In conclusion, if it wasn’t for the blatant bias of NewsCorp journalists. It might have turned out to be quite an interesting analysis, but alas we do not live in that universe.
Read
January 11, 2023I genuinely tried to approach this book with an open-mind notwithstanding the political controversy but it quickly became unreadable. The hagiography is so intellectually dishonest that Morrison ought to have been given a writing credit. That this was written by a serious journalist is particularly embarrassing because it lacks even a scintilla of curiosity about other perspectives or potential mistakes. Truly pathetic.
October 10, 2022
A brilliant alternate universe to the one Australians lived in for the last two years.
I'm sure this should be titled 'Plagued' as told to Simon Benson by Mr Morrison's mum.
Please note I won't belabour the point made by others of writer's lapse of ethics in not revealing their knowledge of Morrison's multiple ministries.
I'm sure this should be titled 'Plagued' as told to Simon Benson by Mr Morrison's mum.
Please note I won't belabour the point made by others of writer's lapse of ethics in not revealing their knowledge of Morrison's multiple ministries.
September 18, 2022
Containing limited evidence or critical analysis, this book can more accurately be classified as a historical fiction novel
November 2, 2022
Read as though it was written by ScoMo's public relations people.
December 15, 2022
Suggested amendment: written By S. Benson, G. Chambers, and S. Morrison?
December 8, 2022
An account of the Australian government response to the Covid-19 pandemic and relations with China (2019 - 2021). A useful timeline of events, this account lacks any objective analysis of decisions / policy including those that challenge the transparency and accountability required within a democratic nation.
July 20, 2023
Total rubbish and I could only stomach 63 pages. This is a completely washed version of events and is so completely one sided it's embarrassing. According to these chaps, Morrison did everything he could and more before and during the COVID pandemic, the States not much, and no one can understand why he lost the last election. I am so sorry I actually bought it.
September 18, 2022
Interesting enough but reasonably hack-ish too w a self evident pro Liberal/Morrison bias.
October 13, 2022
Very comprehensively written
October 20, 2022
Good behind the scenes view of the past two years.
March 5, 2023
Unfortunately so very dry, dry, dry......like eating a Weetbix without milk. The story started to become a little more interesting around Chatper 20 of 24.
September 8, 2022
i hate read this and i regret doing so
January 4, 2024
Simon Benson's "Plagued" is a Kindle edition that reads more like a fever dream than a coherent exploration of a pandemic. This literary catastrophe manages to achieve the impressive feat of inadvertently transforming Scott Morrison into a caricature of evil genius, all while desperately attempting to paint him as the savior of the pandemic. It's a narrative rollercoaster that leaves readers questioning whether they've stumbled upon a work of fiction or a misguided attempt at revisionist history.
Benson's prose is as haphazard as a cat on a keyboard, a jumble of words thrown together with all the finesse of a toddler's finger painting. The book attempts to weave a gripping tale of pandemic response but ends up resembling a tangled ball of yarn that even the most patient reader would struggle to unravel.
The characterization of Scott Morrison as a pandemic hero is laughably misguided. Rather than portraying him as a competent leader navigating a crisis, Benson inadvertently crafts an image of Morrison as a power-hungry supervillain, manipulating the pandemic for his nefarious purposes. The unintended consequence of attempting to lionize Morrison is an accidental revelation of his Machiavellian tendencies.
The book's attempt at political analysis is as coherent as a Rorschach inkblot test. Benson seems to throw darts at a board of political buzzwords and construct a narrative around wherever they land. The lack of critical insight into Morrison's decisions during the pandemic leaves readers with a sense of bewilderment rather than enlightenment.
Moreover, the book's selective interpretation of events smacks of confirmation bias. Benson appears to cherry-pick anecdotes and data points that align with his preconceived narrative, resulting in a skewed and unconvincing portrayal of Morrison's leadership during the pandemic. The lack of a balanced and nuanced approach undermines any credibility the book might have sought to establish.
In conclusion, "Plagued" is a literary travesty, a Kindle edition that unintentionally transforms Scott Morrison into a Bond villain while attempting to cast him as the hero of the pandemic. Simon Benson's narrative acrobatics leave readers with a narrative more convoluted than a soap opera plot twist. If you're seeking a meaningful exploration of political leadership during a crisis, you're better off consulting a Magic 8-Ball for insights more coherent than what "Plagued" has to offer.
Benson's prose is as haphazard as a cat on a keyboard, a jumble of words thrown together with all the finesse of a toddler's finger painting. The book attempts to weave a gripping tale of pandemic response but ends up resembling a tangled ball of yarn that even the most patient reader would struggle to unravel.
The characterization of Scott Morrison as a pandemic hero is laughably misguided. Rather than portraying him as a competent leader navigating a crisis, Benson inadvertently crafts an image of Morrison as a power-hungry supervillain, manipulating the pandemic for his nefarious purposes. The unintended consequence of attempting to lionize Morrison is an accidental revelation of his Machiavellian tendencies.
The book's attempt at political analysis is as coherent as a Rorschach inkblot test. Benson seems to throw darts at a board of political buzzwords and construct a narrative around wherever they land. The lack of critical insight into Morrison's decisions during the pandemic leaves readers with a sense of bewilderment rather than enlightenment.
Moreover, the book's selective interpretation of events smacks of confirmation bias. Benson appears to cherry-pick anecdotes and data points that align with his preconceived narrative, resulting in a skewed and unconvincing portrayal of Morrison's leadership during the pandemic. The lack of a balanced and nuanced approach undermines any credibility the book might have sought to establish.
In conclusion, "Plagued" is a literary travesty, a Kindle edition that unintentionally transforms Scott Morrison into a Bond villain while attempting to cast him as the hero of the pandemic. Simon Benson's narrative acrobatics leave readers with a narrative more convoluted than a soap opera plot twist. If you're seeking a meaningful exploration of political leadership during a crisis, you're better off consulting a Magic 8-Ball for insights more coherent than what "Plagued" has to offer.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews