The Whitlam Legacy (with dust jacket)

The book’s programmatic attention to political style, media and campaigning; the management (and mismanagement) of government; to views from those in cabinet, those on the backbench and those inside the Prime Minister’s Office; and then to policy is invaluable. Read full review… - James Walter, Australian Journal of Politics and History, Sept 2014 Forty years on. This book tells a tale which is still exhilarating and devastating. Awe inspiring in what it reveals of the extent of policy preparation and shocking in its revelation of the failure to engage the processes to make it happen. All entering parliament and/or aspiring to a political career should read this book - and reflect on it in the light of what became of subsequent Labor governments. Read full review… - June R Verrier, Australasian Study of Parliament Group, April 2014 Bramston’s new effort, The Whitlam Legacy, ought to be read consistent with the other milestone books of the period … Bramston has assembled a formidable array of talent as narrators. [The book] does justice to the Whitlam experiment, highlighting political and legislative success, while never ignoring failure or folly. Troy Bramston has done an admirable job in seeking to bring many threads in this political tapestry together in a highly readable, engaging and honest way. Read full review… - Stephen Loosley, Spectator Australia Magazine, 29 March 2014 The Whitlam Legacy appraises the government’s manifest failures as well as its successes. It is an illuminating retrospective for those unfamiliar with this unique era, and for those who are familiar there are intriguing little-known vignettes - MPs having a punch-up near King’s Hall, Gerard Henderson doubting Billy McMahon’s sanity, Arthur Calwell providing information to McMahon to undermine Whitlam’s leadership, Rupert Murdoch and Malcolm Fraser sharing the same nanny as youngsters, Paul Keating insisting that Kerr should have been arrested, and remarkable revelations of the extent of the public service chiefs’ resistance to Labor policies. Read full review… - Ross McMullin, Australian Book Review, March 2014 This book will be most appreciated by those unfamiliar with the Whitlam years or those who have an interest in revisiting that time. It is a volume which is fairly comprehensive in its coverage of its topic and does offer some fresh perspectives. Read full review… - MR Tyson, Bar News, Autumn 2014 Bramston is an articulate champion of the policies of modern social democracy that Whitlam epitomised in the 1960s and 70s. Yet he and the pick of the other contributors are at their best when narrating the force of circumstances that brought the Whitlam government to its knees. … a book of stimulating essays on a topic that will reverberate down the years … Read full review… - Frank Carrigan, Weekend Australian, 25-26 Jan 2014 “This book really is a great work of scholarship. It is a primer for anyone interested in politics or interested in carving out a career in politics. To get these people to write about the Whitlam government is a real tribute to Troy Bramston. From now on, nobody will be able to write about the Whitlam government without consulting The Whitlam Legacy.” - Bob Carr

Troy Bramston is a columnist with The Australian newspaper and a contributor to Sky News. He has worked as a policy and political adviser in government, opposition and the private sector. He is a former principal speechwriter for Kevin Rudd and an adviser to the Rudd government.

Troy is the author of Looking for the Light on the Hill: Modern Labor’s Challenges (Scribe, 2011). Widely praised, The Courier-Mail said, ‘Troy Bramston’s book is a stand-out. His elegant prose and bold criticisms make it hard to put down’. He is co-editor of The Hawke Government: A Critical Retrospective (Pluto Press, 2003), editor of The Wran Era (The Federation Press, 2006) and editor of For the True Believers: Great Labor Speeches That Shaped History (The Federation Press, 2012) which was described by The Australian as ‘a compulsory reference for anyone interested in Australian politics’.

Troy lives in Sydney with his partner, Nicky, and two children, Madison and Angus. He is currently writing a book about Paul Keating.