The Enigmatic Mr Deakin by Judith Brett

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Light creasing to dust jacket top and tail. Interior and binding are excellent.

This insightful and accessible new biography of Alfred Deakin (1856-1919), Australia's second prime minister, shines fresh light on one of the nation's most significant figures.

It brings out from behind the image of a worthy, bearded father of federation the gifted, passionate and intriguing man whose contributions continue to shape the contours of Australian politics.

The acclaimed political scientist Judith Brett scrutinises both Deakin's public and inner life. Deakin's private papers reveal a solitary, religious character who found much of the business of politics distasteful, with its unabashed self-interest, double-dealing, and mediocre intellectual levels. And yet politics is where Deakin chose to do his life's work. (book flap)