John Watson led the first Labor government in any country in the world, a few months in 1904. He has been the subject of a few books. This is a nice short one which covers the very short reign of the government. Although Watson was not in power for long, government was important because it showed that Labor could rule without the sky falling in. It also gave cabinet experience to two future PMs, Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes.
Watson himself is a shadowy figure - nice, courteous, decent, etc. Actually "dull" is a little more accurate than "shadowy". Some of his rivals like the rascal George Reid and the rumbuctuous Bill Hughes come across as far more lively on the page. Maybe Watson really was like this. But when the author mentions Watson crossed the floor with Hughes following the conscription split, it came as a shock, which it mightn't if a bit more focus in the book was on his personality.
Nonetheless, a concise and well written book about an important period in our history.
Watson himself is a shadowy figure - nice, courteous, decent, etc. Actually "dull" is a little more accurate than "shadowy". Some of his rivals like the rascal George Reid and the rumbuctuous Bill Hughes come across as far more lively on the page. Maybe Watson really was like this. But when the author mentions Watson crossed the floor with Hughes following the conscription split, it came as a shock, which it mightn't if a bit more focus in the book was on his personality.
Nonetheless, a concise and well written book about an important period in our history.
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