Mungo MacCallum's Biography: A Look Into the Lives of Australia's Prime Ministers

John L: I enjoyed reading this. Yes it obviously focuses on the Prime Ministers, but it's also a well written snapshot of the history of Australia since Federation, and a good starting point for anyone who wants to know more about the political history of Australia.

Australia on Feb 07, 2023

Martina A. Nicolls: This is about Australia’s 29 Prime Ministers from 1901 to 2018, covering their background, aspirations, and life in office—whether it was for eight days or 19 years.

There are 28 men and one woman—Julia Gillard. Julia Eileen Gillard, Australia’s 27th Prime Minister, from 2010 to 2013, was the country’s first unmarried leader, and first woman PM, noted for her speech condemning misogyny.

Unlike in many countries, in Australia there is no requirement to be born in Australia to serve in the top position in the land. Hence, there are 22 Prime Ministers born in Austalia and seven born overseas—with six from the United Kingdom and one from Chile. John Christian Watson, the third Prime Minister—for four months in 1904—was born in Chile and raised in New Zealand. Although his premiership was short, he led the world’s first Labor government.

The biographies are brief, mentioning their background and characteristics—positive and negative—their lives, legacies, and popularity (or not). Nothing is elaborated upon in any detail, and even the dates of their leadership is hidden in the narratives. A detailed list of dates would be...

United States on Sep 12, 2019

zach: Nice introduction to Australian political history/PMs for those who want a little bit more in-depth background -- but still a relatively easy read. Includes interesting insight by the author, and fun anecdotes. I would only suggest an intro page including a timeline of the leaders, time in office, and political parties. I found myself having to Google as I read.

United States on Mar 22, 2019

Amazon Customer: Think this book gives a brief but useful insight into the various PM we have had. All gave value to the position in their own way. Those who aren't swinging/independent voters will find disappointment because they will learn of issues they didn't wish to know or confront in their leaders.

United States on Oct 05, 2018

Max Fehring: I thoroughly enjoyed to gain an understanding of all of our prime ministers. The one thing that came out for the whole the book is just our they very much like us all with strengths and weaknesses in various aspects of their life. Is no doubt much has changed since our early prime ministers such as Barton were given the Honoured role to lead the nation of Australia.Power of communication in all its forms these days, has changed the way in which prime ministers and those aspiring to be promises relate to the people. Communication gives us an up-to-date of what's going on but is also removes Political leaders more away from the people in a personal manner. They just don't send to get space to do some common sense thinking and spin is a real problem. I thought Mungo did a reasonably good job being balanced, perhaps somewhere thet challenge for all writers to indicate what their political leanings are, so one can take that into account when they are reading a book on making judgements for themselves

Australia on Feb 20, 2016

Liam: The book is a fairly decent account of all the prime ministers from federation up to recent times (Abbot). The book in all gave a good amount of information regarding the prime ministers and how they all came about power. I would of given the book a 5 stars if it had explained in more detail the policy's and legislation that the prime ministers and their governments had implemented and what effect they had on Aussies. 4/5

Australia on Oct 18, 2015

Howard Davies: I just finished

I like always like reading Mungo. Always have right back to the Nation Review. He uses obscure words like "coruscated" that indicate his meaning well and make you richer for knowing it after you have looked it up in the dictionary. No vocabulary capitalism with Mungo. (The bane of teacher experts) Just good intelligent words.
A great example of the value of good words is included in Mungo's review of "Black Jack McEwen". According to Mungo, when Black Jack was making the best of a soldier settlement farm in the Wimmera, post WW1 the only book he had to read was a big dictionary: which Black Jack read and imbibed thoroughly. In turn, this feat stood him in good stead in his later orating political career.
Mungo has the skill of including life trivia that ordinary people are pleased and amused to find out about.
His book "The Whitlam Mob" has a really amusing comment from Dr Moss Cass about what he would rather have been doing instead of being at an inane political meeting. Gems like that are all,over the place.

Australia on Jan 09, 2015

DavidHo: The Good, the Bad and the Unlikely: Australia's Prime Ministers (henceforth GBU:APM)
&
The Whitlam Mob

by Mungo MacCallum

I am going to treat these two books together because they overlap, and contain some identical content. Disclaimer - I will point out that ideologically I am on the other side of the fence from the author, but that does not mean I disagree with all he says, and don’t enjoy the yarns.
I was at school in the Whitlam era and can remember coming home to hear the ruckus on 702’s broadcast on Parliament on that fateful day in November 1975, and had observed the performance of his Govt., since 1972. I am also old enough to have some recall of the Gorton, McMahon Govts, and Snedden as the Leader of the Opposition.

The stories portrayed in both of these books, are fascinating and quite readable. MacCallum is an easy to read author with a clever and witty style. He documents the strengths foibles the various ministers in the Whitlam Govt., and the various PMs since Federation in an interesting and informative manner.
However, and he admits this in the Whitlam Mob, he is writing a positive spin on the Labor politicians, in...

Australia on Oct 31, 2014

Amazon Customer: Mungo MacCallum has written a very readable and enjoyable account of Australia's past prime ministers. I very much enjoyed his account of the early PM's and the fact that during the first 15 years Australia was beset with regular changes in leader as members of Parliament changed sides more often that they changed their underwear. As Churchill was reported to say if you have ratted on your party you might as well re rat.
Mungo's account of the more recent PM's is restrained but deals with their backgrounds succinctly.

United States on Mar 10, 2014

Denis J. Kirkaldy: This book I read with great interest but soem frustration. On the early Prime Ministers there was a wealth of material that was new to me and gave me a new understanding of who they were and what they achieved. On the later ones there seemed very little that was useful. I wanted more from a Canberra veteran commentator.

Mongo writes well and is easy to read. I just felt he could have done better - and I wish he had.

United States on Jul 17, 2012