A portrait of one of Australia's longest-serving prime ministers, this biography goes behind the public image to find neither the strong-willed man of principle his supporters like to imagine nor the cunning opportunist painted by his foes. The discussion covers Howard's suburban middle-class upbringing and his success at implementing his polices, concluding that although the image of the ordinary bloke has helped his enduring popularity, he--like George Bush--possesses a number of uncommon strengths that have made him one of the most formidable leaders in Australian political history.

An insider's look at the Australian 2007 election and its implications, this political document goes behind the scenes of both the Liberal and Labour parties upon the announcement of the election campaign. In one camp is John Howard, the most experienced politician in the country, who has faced some of the toughest opinion polls of his career since the start of 2007. In the other camp is Kevin Rudd, a rookie politician who seems unable to make a misstep. This chronicle and analysis will make sense of the result of the election and its far-reaching outcomes for the people of Australia.