The Longest Decade Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The 'longest decade' currently spans over 15 years: the combined length of the prime ministerships of Paul Keating and John Howard. George Megalogenis is a journalist with The Australian and a former member of the Canberra press gallery.
Mr Megalogenis has written a book which, while it primarily deals with economic policy, also considers native title in the aftermath of Mabo and Wik, the political rise and fall of Pauline Hansen, East Timor and the Tampa. The book begins with Paul Keating's last year as Australian treasurer, through his prime ministership and John Howard's, and ends in December 2005 with the Cronulla riots.
The similarities between Howard and Keating on matters of economic reform will be surprising to those who focus only on the apparent differences. By looking back at the work done during the 1980s, some of the potential contributers to the strengths and weaknesses of the current Australian economy seem clearer.
The strength of this book is the historical material it contains. It is not a definitive history, but it does provide a useful (and well presented) overview of some key political events, together with highlights such as John Hewson's infamous answer about how the cost of a birthday cake would be affected by the (then) proposed goods and services tax.
The book is arranged chronologically rather than by topic. While this is fine for those of us who have a reasonably clear memory of the times, it may make for a disjointed read for those seeking to follow policy development.
Recommended for those who wanting some undertanding of this period in Australian political history. Megalogenis's writing style livens up what might appear to be dry and dusty topics.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Longest Decade

Arguing that Paul Keating and John Howard are the twin architects of a political, economic, and social revolution, this investigation tells the story of how these two politicians carried Australia through a period of trauma and on to an era of unprecedented affluence. Between them, they altered the nation's body-clock, dominating 30 years of power as both treasurers and prime ministers. Based on exclusive interviews with both Keating and Howard, this is a brilliant, nonpartisan analysis of the forces that shape Australia today. This substantially revised and updated edition also discusses the termination of the Keating–Howard era.

Click here for more information about The Longest Decade