Cirrus@Austlit

'From Rhodes Scholar to union leader to political powerhouse: how Bobbie became Bob, the iconic PM. The new biography from award-winning historian David Day sheds fresh light on the formative years of Australia's most charismatic leader, who became a political legend.

'David Day's biography of the young Bob Hawke takes readers on a journey, from his humble beginnings as the often-neglected son of religious zealots on the South Australian frontier, to his wild ways at a succession of universities, and his eventual rise as the country's most powerful union leader. Day provides a new perspective on a larrikin who was known for his overweening self-confidence and charm. A skilled negotiator with a drive to bring Australians together, he would go on to become our most popular and accomplished prime minister.

'Drawing on a decade of extensive research and interviews with those who knew Hawke best, this ground-breaking biography by an acclaimed writer reveals how Hawke's difficult childhood shaped him into someone who was known for his uncontrollable bouts of anger and notorious for his alcoholism, obsessive womanising and close links with some of Australia's more shadowy characters.

'This gripping biography is a must-read for anyone interested in the first fifty years of Bob Hawke, our last truly colourful political leader.'  (Publication summary)

'After his father died when Maurice Blackburn was a child, Maurice was brought up by a mother who was descended from Melbourne’s gentry and was determined to raise him as a gentleman who would achieve greatness as a judge or a prime minister. However, Blackburn had humbler aims. With the support of his wife, he wanted instead ‘to make life better for the ordinary men and women of the country’. He went on to do so, defending the rights of working people as a leading barrister in the courts and as a politician in the parliaments of Melbourne and Canberra, and became much loved and admired across the political spectrum.

'A socialist and internationalist all his life, who was twice expelled from the Labor Party for his principles, Blackburn became a leading opponent of conscription in both world wars, a supporter of rights for women, an advocate for peace, and a tireless campaigner for transforming Australia so that it served the interests of all its people.

'Part love story, part gripping political thriller, the poignant story of the much-lauded Maurice Blackburn exposes a time when influence-peddling was rife, when political possibilities seemed limitless, and when a man of principle could still make a big difference to the course of Australian politics.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In Australia, authors have seen their average income decrease from about $22,000 to less than $13,000.'

'In the tradition of his bestselling CURTIN and CHIFLEY, David Day's exhaustive biography of one of our most fascinating prime ministers. Paul Keating was one of the most significant political figures of the late twentieth century, firstly as Treasurer for eight years and then Prime Minister for five years. Although he has spent all of his adult life in the public eye, Keating has eschewed the idea of publishing his memoirs and has discouraged biographers from writing about his life. Undaunted, best-selling biographer David Day has taken on the task of giving Keating the biography that he deserves. Based on extensive research in libraries and archives, interviews with Keating's former colleagues and associates, and walking the tracks of Keating's life, Day has painted the first complete portrait of Paul Keating, covering both the public and private man.' (Publication summary)

'In Flaws in the Ice, prize-winning historian David Day searches for the real Douglas Mawson. After travelling south on his own six-week odyssey to the Antarctic, the author answers the difficult questions about Mawson that have hitherto lain buried - from questions about his intimate relationship with Lady Scott, and his leadership of the ill-fated Australiasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-14, to his conduct during the legendary trek that led to the death of his two companions. He also explores how Mawson subsequently concealed his failures and deficiencies as an expedition leader, and created for himself a heroic image that has persisted for a century.

'For many decades, there has been only one published, first-hand account of the expedition - the one written and orchestrated by Mawson himself. Only recently have alternative accounts become publicly available. The most important of these is the long-suppressed diary of Mawson's deputy, Cecil Madigan, who is scathing in his criticisms of Mawson's abilities, achievements, and character. At the same time, other accounts have appeared from leading members of the expedition that also challenge Mawson's official story.

'In this compelling and revealing new book, David Day draws upon all this new evidence, as well as on the vast research he undertook for his international history of Antarctica, and on his own experience of sailing to the Antarctic coastline where Mawson's reputation was first created. Flaws in the Ice will change perceptions of Douglas Mawson forever.' (Publisher's blurb)