MRC Books

Selected Speeches of Brendan Nelson

Edited by David Furse-Roberts

Paperback, 296 pages, $39.95

Release Date: August 2024

The power of Brendan Nelson's speeches is found not only in his choice of words but in the passion and persuasion of their expression.

This volume captures Dr Nelson's timeless contributions to public life as an advocate for doctors, parliamentary leader and custodian of Australia's military tradition.

These are the unfiltered words of an extraordinary Australian who speaks with bravery and unwavering belief straight from his heart.

Boris Johnson has always been larger than life. Controversial, untrammelled by the normal rules of politics, his route to becoming Britain’s prime minister included a landmark career as a journalist, two terms as London’s mayor, leading the Vote Leave Brexit campaign and acting as foreign secretary. He won the largest Tory majority since 1987 when he went to the polls in December 2019 for a mandate to ‘Get Brexit Done’ - only to have his administration hit by the global Covid pandemic and toppled in a Tory putsch. Unleashed is his account of his time in politics, and a book that shatters the mould of the modern prime ministerial memoir. Written in his inimitable style, it is honest, unrestrained and deeply revealing about the politician who has dominated our times. This is his story of the fifteen years since he trounced Ken Livingstone at the polls to become mayor of London. Riots, tackling knife crime, bikes, buses, the London Olympics, and so much more. He writes about his role in Brexit, takes readers through all the big decisions and his reasons for taking them, and describes how he nearly died from Covid. Underlying everything in the book is his view that the UK is an extraordinary country and should have an exceptional future.

On the fiftieth anniversary of Churchill's death, former UK prime minister Boris Johnson celebrates the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century. Taking on the myths and misconceptions along with the outsized reality, he portrays - with characteristic wit and passion - a man of contagious bravery, breathtaking eloquence, matchless strategising, and deep humanity.

The third in David Kemp’s landmark five-volume history of liberalism in Australia focuses on the political battle after Federation (1901-1925) to achieve unprecedented levels of social and economic equality, while preserving both national independence and individual freedom. Through years of political conflict, Australians maintained their aspiration towards personal responsibility and autonomy.

This is the first book in a landmark five-volume Australian liberalism series by David Kemp. It tells the story of how Australians became a free people, gaining the liberties they desired to take control of their lives, the right to govern themselves and the capacity to address their own political problems through democratic institutions. Hardback

From the standpoint of a true patriot and in the spirit of man to man, Sir Robert Menzies stresses, in The Forgotten People, both the rights and the duties of the people and of Parliament. He states clearly what the Liberal Party’s position is, what its aims are, and the part that every citizen must play if the war is to be won. He looks toward the future, the post-war world, and shows how we must work and plan today to combat the dangers that will inevitably beset tomorrow. He examines the meaning and achievements of democracy; he analyses the implications of President Roosevelt's four freedoms; and he upholds the dignity and the rights of the "forgotten people"--the middle classes, the "backbone of this country."

No leader did more to shape modern Australia than Robert Menzies. And no election was as important as that of 1949, when Menzies’ landslide victory heralded an unprecedented era of modernisation, expansion and prosperity. Menzies was the most successful of his or any other generation. His convictions and power of persuasion forged a nation driven by individual aspiration. Hardback.

Robert Menzies sculpted language with the skill of a craftsman, choosing words carefully and shaping them with dexterity.

Edited by David Furse-Roberts, this timeless volume contains a selection of his sharpest observations drawn from thousands of speeches, lectures and broadcasts delivered over 40 momentous years in public life.

His reflections on topics ranging from liberalism, freedom and democracy to foreign policy and Australian national identity are anchored in principles and values that are no less relevant today.

Covering more than 20 years of Menzies’ public life, these speeches, some of them recovered as typewritten manuscripts from private vaults, comprehensively reveal for the first time the full wit, wisdom and power of Australia’s eminent leader and orator. Diligently and affectionately compiled by David Furse-Roberts, this collection is guaranteed to inform and entertain. Hardback.

John Howard spent decades under media scrutiny, and while his credentials as a political leader, devoted family man and sports tragic are beyond dispute, in this autiobiography he reveals more about himself. He traces his personal and political journey from childhood in the post-WWI era through to the present day, painting a fascinating picture of a changing Australia. Revised and updated to include the 2013 election. Softback.

John Howard spent decades under media scrutiny, and while his credentials as a political leader, devoted family man and sports tragic are beyond dispute, in this autobiography he reveals more about himself. He traces his personal and political journey from childhood in the post-WWI era through to the present day, painting a fascinating picture of a changing Australia. Hardback.

John Howard could convey more in a single speech than most politicians articulate in a lifetime. Through tragedy, discord and triumph, he addressed the mood of the nation with uncommon good sense. This selection is a reminder of the values and conviction that made our second longest-serving Prime Minster such a persuasive orator. Hardback.

John Howard could convey more in a single speech than most politicians articulate in a lifetime. Through tragedy, discord and triumph, he addressed the mood of the nation with uncommon good sense. This selection is a reminder of the values and conviction that made our second longest-serving Prime Minster such a persuasive orator. Softback.

The Ascent to Power, 1996 takes a critical look at the Howard Government’s rise to power; its policies and priorities, successes and shortcomings in what Paul Kelly calls the ‘foundational year’. It covers the 1996 election, relationships with the Australian Public Service and Senate crossbenchers, reversing the budget ‘black hole’ and gun law reform following the Port Arthur massacre. With contributions from John Howard, other politicians, media commentators, key public servants and academics, The Ascent to Power, 1996, will inform future assessments of the Howard Government and its place in Australian history.

A collection of nine major speeches delivered by former prime minister Tony Abbott ahead of the 2013 Federal Election setting out the values, directions and policy priorities of his government.

Fraser in Office is a long-overdue reappraisal of Australia’s 22nd Prime Minister. It examines Malcolm Fraser’s prime ministership in historical context, recognising the challenge of restoring good government after the Whitlam years. Unclouded by later political disputes and separated from the extraordinary manner by which he entered office, Fraser emerges as a leader of considerable substance.

Author: Denis White

Foreword: David Kemp

Jeparit Press (an imprint of Connor Court Publishing and The Menzies Research Centre)

Paperback, 104 pages, $24.95

Throughout her long and distinguished career in Australian public life, Enid Lyons stood out as a woman of strong character and high principles. Her commitment to advancing the status of women in Australian public life was unwavering.

Paperback, 100 pages, $19.95

This new biography by Sean Jacobs, based on years of research, explores Neville Bonner’s hardscrabble beginnings and rise to become Australia’s first Indigenous federal parliamentarian. Despite a difficult start, and only a year of formal schooling, Bonner turned discrimination and setback into success, overcoming hard days in northern New South Wales and Queensland to represent Queensland as a Liberal Senator for 12 years in the national parliament (1971 – 1983). Bonner’s towering dignity to be a full participant in Australian society, and his constant capacity to see the good in all Australians, make him not only a great Indigenous Australian but one of our greatest Australians.

Sean Jacobs is a Papua New Guinean-born Australian writer, government relations and public policy specialist. He has worked at all levels of government in Australia, New Zealand and PNG, and holds a BA (International Relations) from Griffith University and Postgraduate Certificate in Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism from Macquarie University. His interest in Neville Bonner emerged after discovering Bonner’s story as a young policy adviser at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Jacobs currently lives in Brisbane.

Robert Menzies’ famous Forgotten People speeches captured the hopes of Australians as they looked forward to a better life after World War II. While times have changed, Menzies’ themes of freedom, opportunity and responsibility remain. In this unique volume, leading modern liberals rewrite Menzies’ speeches for the 21st century.

Do today’s politicians have the courage to make hard choices? Or has the furious pace of modern politics put an end to the age of reform?

 In Quiet Achievers, Oliver Hartwich looks at New Zealand’s record on spending, tax and welfare.

 He discovers that while Australia has been avoiding difficult decisions, the Kiwis have been silently forging ahead.

An unsettling assessment of how - and when - war with China might break out and the consequences for the world, from bestselling author and ex-major general the late Jim Molan

What are Australia's options in confronting a rising and belligerent China?

For the first time in nearly 80 years, war on our doorstop is not just possible, it is likely. Former army major general and Liberal Party senator Jim Molan fought wars, reviewed intelligence, participated in government and conducted business in hotspots across the world, making him an expert in evaluating risk and reward in perilous military situations.

In this sober assessment, penned just before he died, Molan examines the present and growing danger of China's rise, not just to Taiwan, Japan and other countries in the immediate region, but also to the geopolitical balance of power as it has existed since the end of World War II. He suggests what China's endgame is, how war might start, what war with China would look like and, importantly, what Australia's best interests and options are. Acknowledging the increasing awareness of possible conflict, he stresses how important it is to prepare for the right war, not the war we would prefer to fight, or the one we think might never happen.

The Liberal Party has dominated Australian politics since its formation in 1944. Road to Freedom tells the fascinating story of the party's beginnings and how values fed the aspirations of a vibrant middle class to create one of the world's most free and prosperous nations.

Christopher Pearson was a lifelong opponent of conventional wisdom but a stout defender of common sense. This collection of essays and newspaper columns assembles his dispatches from the frontline of the battle of ideas, spanning two contentious decades. From the scourge of political correctness to the rise of Tony Abbott, Pearson was a constant source of wisdom and good humour. Introduction by Tony Abbott.

A delightful, surprising and warm collection of stories about Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies, from their only daughter, Heather Henderson

Paperback, $34.99

Former MRC Director Tony McLellan grew up on a sheep station mending fences and killing rabbits. It turned out to be the perfect apprenticeship for a business high-flyer who crossed the Atlantic on the Concorde as casually as most people catch a bus.

A crisis in his business and family life at the age of 47 taught him the deeper meaning of achievement: The path to a truly successful life begins when you focus on serving others.

A Glorious Ride is an antidote for the dismal secularism of our times and a rallying cry against despair.