Robert Menzies: The Art of Politics by Troy Bramston

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Previous owner has signed the title page and left an annotation on the front blank page. Underlining throughout the book.

Robert Menzies claimed the prime ministership in 1939 and led the nation during the early years of the war, but resigned two years later after losing the confidence of his party. His political career seemed over, and yet he staged one of the great comebacks, forging a new political party, devising a new governing philosophy, and crafting a winning electoral approach that made him Australia's longest-serving prime minister.

The lessons Menzies learned - and the way he applied them - made him a model that every Liberal leader since has looked to for inspiration. But the debate over Menzies' life and legacy has never settled. Who was Robert Menzies, what did he stand for, what did he achieve?

Troy Bramston has not only researched the official record and published accounts but also interviewed members of Menzies' family and his former advisers and ministers. He has also been given exclusive access to family letters, and to a series of interviews Menzies gave that have never been revealed before.

They are a major historical find, in which Menzies talks about his life, reflects on political events and personalities, offers political lessons, and candidly assesses his successors. Robert Menzies is the first biography in 20 years of the Liberal icon - and it contains important contemporary lessons for those who want to understand and master the art and science of politics.