Young Hawke The making of a larrikin

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

From Rhodes Scholar to union leader to political powerhouse: how Bobbie became Bob, the iconic PM. The new biography from award-winning historian David Day sheds fresh light on the formative years of Australia's most charismatic leader, who became a political legend.

David Day's biography of the young Bob Hawke takes readers on a journey, from his humble beginnings as the often-neglected son of religious zealots on the South Australian frontier to his wild ways at a succession of universities and his eventual rise as the country's most powerful union leader. Day provides a new perspective on a larrikin who was known for his overweening self-confidence and charm. A skilled negotiator with a drive to bring Australians together, he would go on to become our most popular and accomplished prime minister.

Drawing on a decade of extensive research and interviews with those who knew Hawke best, this ground-breaking biography by an acclaimed writer reveals how Hawke's difficult childhood shaped him into someone who was also known for his uncontrollable bouts of anger and notorious for his alcoholism, obsessive womanising and close links with some of Australia's more shadowy characters.

This gripping biography is a must-read for anyone interested in the first fifty years of Bob Hawke, our last truly colourful political leader.

'David Day's biography ... brings fascinating new dimension to this complex and deeply flawed man ... [a] fascinating, elegantly written account' Guardian

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Hardback
ISBN13: 9781460765692
Published: July 2024

Number of pages: 432
Width: 162 mm
Height: 242 mm
Depth: 41 mm

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd