Jenny Hocking – författare

Jenny Hocking's political biography of Australian attorney, politician and High Court judge Lionel Murphy created a sensation when it was first published in 1997. The book forced a reinterpretation of Murphy's considerable legal, social and political legacy. Now available in paperback, this new version includes an epilogue in which Hocking reassesses Murphy's place in the recent political and legal landscape in the light of further controversies. She argues that a long and influential career should not be obscured by the traumatic years before his death nor the media sensationalism since. The release of this important paperback edition comes with a Foreword by Justice Michael Kirby, who reflects thoughtfully on Murphy's career at the High Court.

Gough Whitlam, Australia's twenty-first prime minister, swept to power in December 1972, ending twenty-three years of conservative rule. In barely three years Whitlam's dramatic reform agenda would transform Australia. It was an ascendancy bitterly resented by some, never accepted by others, and ended with dismissal by the Governor-General just three years later—an outcome that polarised debate and left many believing the full story had not been told.In this much-anticipated second volume of her biography of Gough Whitlam, Jenny Hocking has used previously unearthed archival material and extensive interviews with Gough Whitlam, his family, colleagues and foes, to bring the key players in these dramatic events to life.The identity of the mysterious 'third man', who counselled the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, in his decision to sack the twice-elected Whitlam government and appoint Malcolm Fraser as prime minister is confirmed here by Kerr himself, as the High Court justice Sir Anthony Mason, and the full story of his involvement is now revealed for the first time. From Kerr's private papers Hocking details months of secret meetings and conversations between Kerr and Mason in the lead-up to the dismissal, that had remained hidden for over thirty-seven years. In response to these revelations Sir Anthony Mason released an extensive public statement, acknowledging his role and disclosing additional information that is fully explored in this new edition.This definitive biography takes us behind the political intrigue to reveal a devastated Whitlam and his personal struggle in the aftermath of the dismissal, the unfulfilled years that followed and his eventual political renewal as Australia's ambassador to UNESCO. It also tells, through the highs and the lows of his decades of public life, how Whitlam depended absolutely on the steadfast support of the love of his life, his wife, Margaret. For this is also the story of a remarkable marriage and an enduring partnership.The truth of this tumultuous period in Australia's history is finally revealed in Gough Whitlam: His Time

The 'war on terror' and ongoing terrorist attacks around the world have generated a growing body of literature on national and international measures to counteract terrorist activity. This detailed study investigates an aspect of contemporary counter-terrorism that has been largely overlooked; the impact of these measures on the continued viability of the democratic state. Democratic nations are now facing an unprecedented challenge - to respond to global terrorism without simultaneously overturning fundamental human and political rights. The book addresses the critical question of whether, in the context of the 'war on terror', the national security imperative has compromised the democratic state. This book draws together academics, public policy practitioners, politicians and journalists to discuss policies introduced by democratic governments which threaten the nature of the democratic state. It will be of great interest to graduate and undergraduate students in politics, public policy, international relations, criminology and terrorism and counter-terrorism studies.

Acclaimed biographer Jenny Hocking's Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History is the first contemporary and definitive biographical study of the former Labor Prime Minister. From his childhood in the fledging city of Canberra to his first appearance as Prime Minister (playing Neville Chamberlain), to his extensive war service in the Pacific and marriage to Margaret, the champion swimmer and daughter of Justice Wilfred Dovey, the biography draws on previously unseen archival material, extensive interviews with family and colleagues, and exclusive interviews with Gough Whitlam himself. Hocking's narrative skill and scrupulous research reveals an extraordinary and complex man, whose life is, in every way, formed by the remarkable events of previous generations of his family, and who would, in turn, change Australian political and cultural developments in the twentieth century. Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History is a magnificent biography that illuminates the path that took one man to power.