What our pollies plan to read over the summer holiday
Jim Chalmers is turning to Tony Blair for leadership insights while frequent flyer Bridget McKenzie will crack the spine on Joe Aston. Our politicians’ literary choices speak volumes about their year.
A room without books is like a body without a soul, said Cicero. Books reveal our interests and passions, satisfy curiosities and knowledge gaps, and can provide fulfilment and entertainment. It is why for a decade and a half, I have asked leading politicians about their reading choices, which are, as ever, revealing.
Anthony Albanese, part-time DJ, named Nick Hornby’s 31 Songs among his favourite books this year. He plans to read Jimmy Barnes’s Highways and Byways over summer. The PM also names Michael Easson’s In Search of John Christian Watson, a predecessor, as a favourite and has Tim Winton’s The Shepherd’s Hut on his list. Peter Dutton, another avid reader, tells me the book he most enjoyed this year is Bill Gates’s How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, which is timely given his nuclear power policy. Ahead of what will be a hard-fought election, the man who could be our next PM plans to read Think Twice, by mystery writer Harlan Coben.
American politics tragic Richard Marles names Tim McGrath’s biography of James Monroe as his book of the year. The Deputy PM will pick up Jon Meacham’s study of Abraham Lincoln, And There Was Light, over the break. Sussan Ley recommends Zac Seidler’s Masculinities and Mental Health in Young Men, and the Liberal deputy is looking forward to the memoir of another deputy, JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers offers Meacham’s biography of Thomas Jefferson as his best read, and rated Tony Blair’s On Leadership highly. Jeremy Popkin’s A New World Begins, about the French Revolution, is his summer book. His counterpart, Angus Taylor, nominated We Have Never Been Woke, by Musa al-Gharbi, as his top tome of 2024.
National Party leader David Littleproud liked Richard Flanagan’s novel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and has Eddie Jaku’s The Happiest Man on Earth on his reading pile. His deputy, Perin Davey, acclaims Patricia Wolf’s thriller, Outback.
Bridget McKenzie found Noa Tishby’s Israel compelling and will next read Joe Aston’s The Chairman’s Lounge. Christopher Clark’s account of World War I, The Sleepwalkers, is on Don Farrell’s list. He read David Day’s Young Hawke this year. Tony Burke praises Paul Lynch’s novel, Prophet Song, and is looking forward to reading Charlotte Wood’s novel, Stone Yard Devotional. Soon to be vice-chancellor, Bill Shorten, lauds Tom Holland’s Dominion and has Simon Winchester’s The Map That Changed the World for summer.
The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti is Simon Birmingham’s pick of the year. James Paterson recommends John Lewis Gaddis’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of George F. Kennan. Birmingham and Paterson will read Kevin Rudd’s latest volume, On Xi Jinping. Rising political star Jacinta Nampijinpa Price enjoyed Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and will read Black Rednecks and White Liberals, by Thomas Sowell, over summer.
Tanya Plibersek suggests we read Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel, The Ministry of Time, and has Dennis Glover’s Repeat: A Warning from History on her book stand. Jason Clare liked Holland’s Pax in 2024 and has Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing, about Northern Ireland, as his seasonal read. Catherine King loved Liane Moriarty’s novel, Three Wishes, and is eager to start Helen Garner’s The Season, about her grandson’s football team.
Murray Watt read James Neff’s Vendetta, about the feud between Robert Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa, which seemed relevant to his work. Next is Richard Kerbaj’s Secret History of the Five Eyes. Madeleine King acclaims Henry Sanderson’s Volt Rush, about metals and rare earths, and is keen to begin Frank Bongiorno’s The Eighties. Chris Bowen names The Men Who Killed the News as his best read this year, and has Long Island, by Colm Tóibín, to read next.
Paul Fletcher says Lynch’s Prophet Song, which won the 2023 Booker Prize, is a cautionary tale for any politician. He has Vaclav Smil’s Grand Transitions top of his reading list. Jane Hume will tackle Max Boot’s biography of Ronald Reagan and praises the novel, Blue Sisters, by Coco Mellors. David Coleman enjoyed Robert Penn Warren’s classic novel, All the King’s Men, and has Martin Amis’s memoir, Experience, to read.
Matthew Reilly’s novel, Mr Einstein’s Secretary, topped Michelle Rowland’s reading this year. Her summer book is Stanley Tucci’s What I Ate in One Year. Moriarty’s novel, Here One Moment, is Clare O’Neil’s top read of 2024 and she has Patrick Ruffini’s Party of the People, about the US Republican Party, scheduled next. Amanda Rishworth applauds Elizabeth Strout’s novel, Olive Kitteridge, and will read Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House.
Darren Chester relished Barnes’s Highways and Byways and will read marathon runner Nedd Brockmann’s Showing Up over the holiday period. Kevin Hogan liked Peter FitzSimons’ Batavia; his take on the Mutiny on the Bounty is next. Michael Sukkar commends Peggy Noonan’s When Character Was King and has Daniel Silva’s thriller, The Collector, lined up next. Julie Collins enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s novel, The Women, and will pick up Richard Osman’s thriller, We Solve Murders, in coming weeks. Anika Wells will be reading Sarah J. Mass’s fantasy romance novel, A Court of Thorns and Roses, this summer. Andrew Giles read Sam Freedman’s Failed State and has Timothy Snyder’s On Freedom to read.
Joy Chambers’ novel, For Freedom, is Angie Bell’s summer tome. Kerrynne Liddle read Shannyn Palmer’s Unmaking Angas Downs this year and will read Michael Sandel’s Justice. Susan McDonald recommends Darren Prickett’s account of World War I engineers, Purple Patch, and has Sister Viv, by Grantlee Kieza, to read. Jonno Duniam nominates Nic Haygarth’s A Peopled Frontier and will begin Robert Caro’s epic, The Path to Power, about Lyndon Johnson.
Jenny McAllister says Rachel Kushner’s novel, Creation Lake, is a must-read and will delve into Samantha Harvey’s Booker Prize-winning Orbital. Matt Keogh is another fan of Blair’s guide to political leadership and his summer selection is Tui T. Sutherland’s fantasy novel, The Flames of Hope. Kristy McBain has Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terrific life guide, Be Useful, to read and loved Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown.
This year, I found Blair’s On Leadership and Bill Clinton’s Citizen both compellingly insightful. Watergate reporter Bob Woodward’s War was extraordinary. It was a joy to read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story, about her husband, Richard Goodwin. Boris Johnson’s Unleashed was entertaining, often informative, but sometimes unconvincing.
Over summer, I will be reading Katherine Carter’s Churchill’s Citadel and Robert Schmuhl’s Mr Churchill in The White House. I am eager to get into David Rubenstein’s The Highest Calling, on the US presidency. And I am keen to read Boot’s biography of the Gipper, Reagan, given the praise it has received.
As always, happy reading.