'He is the most significant Labor figure in Australia since Paul Keating, and the most dominant Victorian premier since Jeff Kennett. He combines Labor's progressive streak with its conservative edge, implementing an infrastructure program and social reforms of a scale unseen in the state since the era of John Cain.
'Sumeyya Ilanbey's biography of Daniel Andrews tells the extraordinary story of the factional hack who became premier. She reveals how he defied the conventional political playbook to win back the blue collar vote for Labor, and overcome crises that could have been his downfall. His government imposed some of the longest pandemic lockdowns in the world, yet the more he was attacked for this by opponents, the more his popularity increased.
'At a time when state leaders have reversed the long drift of political power towards Canberra, Daniel Andrews is the most successful among them. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the breathtaking ruthlessness and masterful control of communications that underpin his leadership.' (Publication summary)
'Sumeyya Ilanbey has written a tough but fair-minded account of the high-handed premier'
'During his first electoral campaign, Daniel Andrews hung a sign in his office containing a timeless political wisdom from Lyndon Baines Johnson: ‘If you do everything, you will win.’ He has continued taking it literally. Australian politics has, it is agreed, few harder workers than Victoria’s premier: he is in the same class as LBJ, who famously said that he seldom thought about politics more than eighteen hours a day.' (Introduction)
'During his first electoral campaign, Daniel Andrews hung a sign in his office containing a timeless political wisdom from Lyndon Baines Johnson: ‘If you do everything, you will win.’ He has continued taking it literally. Australian politics has, it is agreed, few harder workers than Victoria’s premier: he is in the same class as LBJ, who famously said that he seldom thought about politics more than eighteen hours a day.' (Introduction)
'Sumeyya Ilanbey has written a tough but fair-minded account of the high-handed premier'
