When Kevin Rudd became Leader of the Opposition in December 2006, dramatically ousting Kim Beazley, few Australians knew who he was. Eleven months later - and even more dramatically - he ousted John Howard to become Prime Minister of Australia, in the biggest electoral swing since 1975. Hawke, Keating, Howard - none of them attracted as many voters as quickly as Rudd.
But who is Kevin Rudd? We know the soundbites - a sometimes rough childhood in Queensland, a diplomatic career in Beiing, and extremely successful wife - but how well do we know the man who now runs the country? What did his time as a bureaucrat in the Queensland government reveal about him? How influential a role does his religion play in his life? Who are the people most significant to him? In short, what sort of Prime Minister will he be?
Robert Macklin is an author, journalist and former Prime Ministerial press secretary. He has had unrivalled access to Rudd and spent election evening with the Rudd family. Analysing the public and private record, Macklin reveals the man away from the spotlight.
This is a human story as much as a political one - sometimes funny, sometimes touching, always revealing - written with great pace and drama. Above all, it is a timely insight into the man who is now Prime Minister.
