{"title":"Michael Gawenda","description":"\u003cp\u003eMichael Gawenda is a respected author and journalist whose works provide a deep dive into history and personal narrative. Known for his insightful analysis and engaging writing style, Gawenda's books offer readers a unique blend of historical and personal reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis book, \u003cem\u003eMy Life as a Jew\u003c\/em\u003e, is a captivating memoir that explores identity, heritage, and the author's journey through the complexities of modern identity politics. It is an evocative exploration of his personal experiences interwoven with historical context, offering readers a profound understanding of the Jewish diaspora.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother significant work, \u003cem\u003eThe Powerbroker\u003c\/em\u003e, delves into the world of politics and influence, providing a rich biographical lens through which to view historical events. This book artfully combines elements of both history and memoir, giving readers an intricate understanding of power dynamics and their impact on society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGawenda's works are essential reads for those interested in \u003cstrong\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Military\u003c\/strong\u003e as well as \u003cstrong\u003eBiography \u0026amp; Memoir\u003c\/strong\u003e categories, offering thought-provoking narratives that illuminate the past while resonating with contemporary issues.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"my-life-as-a-jew-by-michael-gawenda-9781761380471","title":"My Life as a Jew","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA multi-award-winning journalist and former editor-in-chief of a major Australian newspaper searingly explores his Jewish identity at a time when a substantial—and growing—part of the left is opposed to the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in a displaced persons' camp two years after the end of the Holocaust, Michael Gawenda spent his childhood and teenage years in a left-wing non-Zionist Jewish youth group in Melbourne. This shaped the sort of Jew he became: a secular Jew who loved the Yiddish language and Yiddish culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGawenda went on to become a public figure during his 40 years as a journalist, including his role as editor-in-chief of The Age—the only Jewish editor-in-chief in the newspaper's history. Throughout this time, and since, he became dismayed and pained by the growing hostility of the left to Israel and to Jews like him who were not prepared to declare themselves as anti-Zionists. This has also forced him to examine his own Jewish identity and his relationships with his Jewish friends, and to forensically examine the basis of the critiques of Israel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt a time of rising anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, \u003cem\u003eMy Life as a Jew\u003c\/em\u003e is a controversial book. It is also a vital book. It should be read by activists for Israel and Zionism, as well as for the Palestinians. It should be read by readers of all political stripes. It should be read by journalists, as it is in part about journalism and its failings. And it should also be read by people interested in the remarkable life and career of its author, Michael Gawenda.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Audacious, pained, heartfelt—I couldn't put it down.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-Helen Garner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I thought I understood everything there was to understand about my own life as a Jew. But Michael Gawenda's fearless, magisterial book, tracing an arc from Hannah Arendt's 'banality of evil' to the casual dinner-party anti-Semitism of contemporary leftists, cracked me open, and nothing has been the same for me since.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-Julie Szego, writer and journalist\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A great book—an enthralling and luminous journey, a love letter to the Jewish people, and a courageous statement of belief, brilliantly written.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-Sam Lipski, former editor-in-chief, Australian Jewish News\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46338685436140,"sku":"9781761380471","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3105863482815.jpg?v=1743742427"},{"product_id":"the-powerbroker-by-michael-gawenda-9781925835809","title":"The Powerbroker","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the ashes of the darkest event in human history, Australian Jews built a thriving community, one with proportionally more Holocaust survivors than anywhere else in the world bar Israel. Mark Leibler grew up in this community, and in time became a leader of it. This book shows how Leibler rose to a position of immense influence in Australian public life by skilfully entwining his roles as a Zionist leader and a tax lawyer to some of the country's richest people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book vividly paints a cast of Australian characters among them Paul Keating, John Howard, Julia Gillard, and Noel Pearson—who came to know Leibler and to call him a friend, along with people like Kevin Rudd and Bob Carr, who see Leibler as no friend at all. Finally, the book charts the surprise turn in Leibler's life, when a social and political conservative became a committed advocate for radical reform on behalf of Australia's Indigenous people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis many-layered book is a portrait of Jewish life in Australia, of the interaction between private wealth and politics, and of a man whose energy, formidable work habits, and forcefulness that often tips into pugnacity have made him a highly effective player in Australian affairs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'He taught me about power - how to get it and how to use it,'\u003c\/em\u003e says Noel Pearson. Through one man's story, \u003cem\u003eThe Powerbroker\u003c\/em\u003e shows how power works in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46846583603436,"sku":"9781925835809","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18683423482873.jpg?v=1758913579"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/michael-gawenda.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}