Remarkable politician who dominated period

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL

Author: Jonathan Biggins

Publisher: Hachette Australia

RRP: $24.99 Reviewer: Mary Ann Elliott

“MY FELLOW irrelevant Australians, never has politics been in such a parlous state.”

Is today’s lack of leadership a product of our times? Or can real leaders shape their times? The Gospel According to Paul answers these questions with a funny, insightful and poignant portrait of Paul Keating.

Writer and satirist Jonathan Biggins draws on his awardwinning play to capture the eviscerating wit, wisdom and confidence of Keating, charting his path from the Bankstown boy who left school at 14, to the Lodge and beyond.

Biggins’ play toured nationally to great acclaim and became a radio play, a film, and now this book.

Beyond the astute impersonation, Biggins paints a sympathetic but uncompromising picture of a unique and compelling politician, exploring his impact on our country and history and his influence on both.

Keating’s wit and devastating way with words still holds fascination for many; Biggins also brings out his visionary style and dynamic notions of leadership.

What can we learn from this master of the theatre of politics at this crucial time?

With “a deadly wit and an ego the size of Everest”, Keating was nevertheless a serious politician, dedicated to many causes and obsessive in his personal interests.

This theatrical biography, a trip down memory lane, and filled with rich rhetoric, makes up for the one Keating said he would never write.

Biggins’ funny, sharp and flamboyant impressions of Paul Keating mirror a remarkable politician who dominated a momentous time in our country’s history.

How does the current cohort of L-platers compare?