The Hawke Memoirs

Bob Hawke

Leadership, largely, is the essence of political life. Bob Hawke has been a leader in every arena he entered — academia, student affairs, the trade union movement, and federal politics. He won four Federal Elections in a row, a feat achieved by no other Labor Prime Minister. This is his own account of his remarkable life. A man of destiny, pragmatist and visionary, with plans for national reconciliation and for creating a new role for Australia in world affairs, Hawke challenged much of the conventional wisdom of public life and brought an extraordinary sense of purpose to his government. His leadership coincided with the eighties; he and his Treasurer, and later arch rival, Paul Keating, embraced the expansive mood of the time and set out to make Australia internationally competitive, an ambition which has been largely achieved. As Australia's Prime Minister, Hawke established himself as among the most colourful world leaders. His part in the now legendary debates with Margaret Thatcher over South African sanctions, his friendship with Ronald Reagan and George Bush, his unique role in the Middle East, his negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev on behalf of the refuseniks and his leadership in saving the Antarctic from mining gave him a prominence far exceeding Australia's place on the world stage. Bob Hawke has always maintained a special relationship with the Australian people, living his political and personal life never far from public scrutiny — mostly praised but often condemned for his ' unexpected attitudes and emotions. A sports lover and punter, Bob Hawke, a man of the people, is also a great Australian.