AUSTRALIANA
A portrait both affectionate and sharp, of Paul Keating, Australia’s Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996, beautifully written and constructed by his ‘bleeding heart’ speechwriter. For all his faults, Keating was a remarkable polemicist and his panache, once he had got to grips with a concept, was extraordinary. Best example: turning John Hewson’s budget reply charge that Keating would ‘pull everyone down to the lowest denominator’ into the lethal response: ‘John Hewson says if you reach back for them, they will drag you down.’ pp. 772 illusts #1219/010922/220323
FIRST EDITION