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The March of Patriots

The Struggle for Modern Australia
Brief Description
The March of Patriots is the inside story of how Paul Keating and John Howard changed Australia. It sees Keating and Howard as conviction politicians, tribal warriors, and national interest patriots. Divided by belief, temperament, and party, they were united by generation, city, and the challenge... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The March of Patriots is the inside story of how Paul Keating and John Howard changed Australia. It sees Keating and Howard as conviction politicians, tribal warriors, and national interest patriots.

Divided by belief, temperament, and party, they were united by generation, city, and the challenge to make Australia into a successful nation for the globalised age.

This book is about the making of policy and the uses of power. It captures the authentic nature of Australian politics, distinct from the polemics advanced by both sides. Its focus is on how Keating and Howard as Prime Ministers altered the nation's direction, redefined their parties, and struggled over Australia's new economic, social, cultural, and foreign policy agendas.

A sequel to Paul Kelly's bestselling The End of Certainty, it is based on more than 100 interviews with the two key players, politicians, advisers, and public servants. It relies heavily on 'on the record' disclosures and new documents from the period. Its theme is that Keating and Howard, as rivals and unrecognised collaborators, are best seen together, and that their legacy is impressive, contradictory, and incomplete.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780522882971

Publisher: Melbourne University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 June 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: Melbourne University Press

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 736

About the Author

Paul Kelly is editor-at-large and a former editor-in-chief of The Australian. He writes on Australian politics, policy, history and international relations, and has covered every prime minister from Gough Whitlam to Anthony Albanese. He has written or co-authored twelve books on our politics and history.

Kelly is a regular television commentator. He has been a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a visiting fellow at Kings' College London and a fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. He has a doctorate from the University of Melbourne and is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.

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