Whether he is pushing an out-of-petrol Rolls Royce along a London backstreet after having attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, or defending a complex education policy argument, the humanity of Kim E Beazley is strongly evident. This memoir, which has been collated posthumously by his son Kim C Beazley, firmly establishes Beazley Senior’s will to improve Australian education and the lot of Indigenous Australians. Both of which, regrettably, are issues that have outlived him. This book is history-social, political and economic- as it touches upon the various interests of Kim E Beazley. It may be read anecdotally to simply enjoy his recollections of personalities and events or to gain a depth of understanding of what forces enabled the current Labor Party to become more relevant. Kim E Beazley is also very skilled at persuading the reader to put aside prejudices, thereby enabling a dispassionate view of events, persons, and arguments. Conversely, it is also a memoir which is difficult to read uncritically as some major events described have received more than adequate publicity. From these memoirs escapes an engaging humanitarian, a likeable man with a capacity to digest detailed mental pig-iron, but who was also focussed upon ideals which he knew weren’t easily achieved.

Barbara Cullen was CEO of the ABA and now manages small business policy for the Victorian Government

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