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Lazarus Rising: A Personal and Political Autobiography

by John Howard

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 156 ratings · 25 reviews

Lazarus Rising is history seen through the eyes of the ultimate insider; an account of a 30-year political career. No prime minister of modern times has reshaped Australia and its place in the world as forcefully as John Howard. As part of his reform agenda he privatized Telstra, dismantled excessive union power and compulsory trade union membership, instituted the unpopul ...more

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Published October 30th 2011 by Bolinda Publishing (first published November 2010)

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Jun 03, 2012 Kathy Reid rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the book I took with me on holidays when I needed something that would last me at least a week! And it did. Its a true 'weighty tome'. Having read Julia Gillard's biography I felt I owed it to the Liberal Party to get the other side of the story. And it's an interesting one. Howard writes very well and avoids being too overly self-serving. The political history which unfolds is really interesting and enlightening. Whatever your political persuasion by the end of it you can't help admit ...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Rory rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Christ what a duplicitous, self-serving mess. Obviously it is the nature of a political autobiography to be self-serving, but usually they're not this... bad. Howard in trying to paint this fantasy picture of his leadership, showing every situation to make himself look good, engaging in these long-winded ego driven descriptions of his actions ("Wonder down under" give me a break) just comes off as this incredibly smug, incredibly annoying, myopic weasel-man.

This book never confronts his racism, Christ what a duplicitous, self-serving mess. Obviously it is the nature of a political autobiography to be self-serving, but usually they're not this... bad. Howard in trying to paint this fantasy picture of his leadership, showing every situation to make himself look good, engaging in these long-winded ego driven descriptions of his actions ("Wonder down under" give me a break) just comes off as this incredibly smug, incredibly annoying, myopic weasel-man.

This book never confronts his racism, never examines the flaws in the Iraq War (the chapter on Iraq actually ends with “My attitude has not changed" as its own paragraph) he just maintains that the exigencies of "history" and shared "culture" require us to help out our "mates" no matter what. He spends most of the 600+ pages settling old scores. Be it attacking Keating as an "elitist", or engaging in a bit of character assassination with Costello. The worst bits are his constant resurrection of "The History Wars." That particular aspect is pretty pathetic, after a decade he's still fighting the same fight from his entrenched position talking about "national pride" and ignoring the past (i.e. taking responsibility for dispossession). This position's peculiarity is best summarised by Graeme Davison, “John Howard urges Australians to be ‘proud of what this country has achieved’, even if those achievements were not actually their own personal achievements; yet he seems unwilling to acknowledge the wrongs those past achievers also committed, or our own sharing in their consequences.”

Probably the biggest sin of this book is that it is just so dull and poorly written. Howard is such a humourless, self-involved sod that I couldn't help but feel an urge to throw the plodding hardcover into a creek as he engages in a disjointed ramble through the cobwebby synapses of his aged "conservative" brain. Never does the book change tone or variate, there's never any kind of humour or interesting anecdote, simply hundreds of seemingly identical insipid pages. ...more

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Jan 16, 2014 Kris Ashton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mediocre prime ministers don’t last long in Australia. Either their party dumps them (if polls are bad with an election looming) or the electorate dumps them. The corollary is that Australia’s good and great prime ministers tend to have long shelf lives.

The first federal election in which I was old enough to vote was held in 1996. The Labor incumbent was Paul Keating. The Liberal opposition leader was John Howard. The latter won in a landslide, and it took 11 years and a silly policy to unseat h Mediocre prime ministers don’t last long in Australia. Either their party dumps them (if polls are bad with an election looming) or the electorate dumps them. The corollary is that Australia’s good and great prime ministers tend to have long shelf lives.

The first federal election in which I was old enough to vote was held in 1996. The Labor incumbent was Paul Keating. The Liberal opposition leader was John Howard. The latter won in a landslide, and it took 11 years and a silly policy to unseat him from the top job.

I am part of what the Sydney Morning Herald once termed ‘the Howard kids’, a group of late-generation Gen-Xers who despised Keating and the damage he did to the social fabric of our country. Keating’s brief reign in the early 1990s was a period of rising political correctness, bizarre obsession with Asian countries, and revisionist history that assured us everything we held sacred – Australia Day and Anzac Day for instance – was shameful.

When Howard was elected, he breathed some much-needed common sense and patriotism back into the national narrative. Leftist commentators hated his conservative social politics (the importance of family and mateship, bolstering ties with English-speaking countries such as the US and UK), but they went down a treat with the community at large. Many pundits point to Howard-era economic reforms as the secret to his success, but I believe his social policies played a much bigger role.

Whatever the case, only a fool would deny he was one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers and his autobiography, Lazarus Rising , gives a full and detailed account of his long life in politics. From spruiking on street corners in the 1960s, to becoming Malcolm Fraser’s right-hand man, to an eternity in opposition during the Hawke era, and then to his own long tenure, Howard barely leaves out a fact, incident or name. He was an inveterate diary-keeper, which explains both the book’s comprehensiveness and its epic size.

Much like the man himself, the prose is matter-of-fact and to the point (albeit wadded with passive voice). Howard manages to shatter many of the myths the hostile left-wing media perpetrated during his time in office and also sheds much light on his relationships with colleagues. Insights into his initially harmonious but gradually disintegrating partnership with Fraser, and his uneasy union of mutual benefit with Peter Costello, prove particularly enlightening.

But while Howard is candid and philosophical about the successes and failures in his career, he still appears blind to what caused his downfall. Yes, his reforms regarding unions and workplace contracts had allowed small businesses and the economy to flourish, but WorkChoices was a step too far in favour of employers. Even I, as a ‘Howard kid’, could see that. But Howard couldn’t. And in his autobiography, he still rails against the unions’ ‘fear campaign’, apparently oblivious that someone like me – who wouldn’t believe a single thing a union rep told me – was nervous about the implications of WorkChoices. Ignoring the electorate on this policy was an out-of-character moment of hubris for Howard, and it cost him dearly.

Lazarus Rising was everything I expected from Howard as an author: intelligent, factual, honest and statesman-like. Even left-wing book critics have conceded its integrity, so it surely must go down in history as one of the great political autobiographies.
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Jul 13, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

At just over 650 pages, former PM John Howard's Lazarus Rising isn't for the faint hearted. Part political memoir and part apologetic for his government's 12 years in power, I found it an enjoyable read. I've not read a political biography before so it was a new experience and educative insight into the political process.

The book is divided into 3 parts dealing with Howard's early years and time in the Frazer government, his years in opposition and finally the Howard government, not surprisingl At just over 650 pages, former PM John Howard's Lazarus Rising isn't for the faint hearted. Part political memoir and part apologetic for his government's 12 years in power, I found it an enjoyable read. I've not read a political biography before so it was a new experience and educative insight into the political process.

The book is divided into 3 parts dealing with Howard's early years and time in the Frazer government, his years in opposition and finally the Howard government, not surprisingly the longest section. Each chapter deals with a theme of his entire time as PM or specific events.

Howard writes with a simple, clear and direct style, mostly uncluttered but in a few places the language was a little convoluted. A number of chapters are a defense of his record and he carefully outlines the circumstances and rationale for decisions and summarizes them at the end. I found this mildly amusing as it reminded me of writing university papers for assessment. But he intimates at one point that, actually, he is writing for the historical record.

I was only young during the Whitlam and Frazer governments, so this was a fascinating albeit biased history. Being a mostly Liberal voter (although I have voted for nearly every major party at one time or another) and (largely silent) Howard supporter the inherent an justified bias didn't bother me. It's an autobiography after all.

He writes at length about his relationship with George Bush and sheds some light on Bush's awkwardness before the media. He also talks about his relationships with various Asian leaders, which came as a surprise to me. While some politicians are full of rhetoric, Howard was one to just get down to it. I had a lot of empathy for him in the final chapter which covers the Coalition's last year in government and their inevitable defeat in spite of their best efforts. His final assessment of that defeat was the 'it's time' factor. There are just too many stories to summarize, you'll have to read the book!

Getting the insider view of many of the events and decisions taken during his government was fascinating. No doubt others would take a different view of history, but I came away with a deeper appreciation for Howard, his approach and the complexities of political office. Even the things I disagreed with him on I could, on the whole, understand. Of course, there are contradictions, but not so many as derail the whole narrative of his career.

Lazarus Rising is an easy read, if a long one. If you enjoy politics or have an interest in Howard's career you'll most likely enjoy it. ...more

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Apr 09, 2015 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. After finishing Tony Blair's autobio a few days prior to commencing this one, Howard's book was always going to be something of a let down. Nevertheless, it was a very useful read.

I really enjoyed the history of the last 30 years of Australian politics, how the final chapter gave an insight into the the man's MO, and the references to cricket. I actually think this former PM would do a good job writing a cricket book.

That said, throughout the book one could not escape the air of arrogance. Howar After finishing Tony Blair's autobio a few days prior to commencing this one, Howard's book was always going to be something of a let down. Nevertheless, it was a very useful read.

I really enjoyed the history of the last 30 years of Australian politics, how the final chapter gave an insight into the the man's MO, and the references to cricket. I actually think this former PM would do a good job writing a cricket book.

That said, throughout the book one could not escape the air of arrogance. Howard's unswerving self belief is impressive, but it is to a fault. This is most apparent in the way he dealt with the Costello succession (which, of course, never happened).

Then there are the issues and policies which defined his career. A chapter on each by and large. On gun control, East Timor, maintaining a healthy Coalition, Tasmanian forests, the Murray-Darling, world leader relationships, and perhaps even the GST (though I wish he'd argued his case more), Howard makes a logical case.

I cannot say the same, however, in the cases of the Waterfront dispute, the MV Tampa and SIEV IV, and WorkChoices. Howard believes he did the right thing in each case; I say he didn't.

Ideologically, while Howard calls himself a social conservative and economic liberal, his book also shows him as a nationalist who governed primarily for middle and rich Australia. His cynicism concerning international issues and agreements, as well as symbolic statements, was frustrating for me.

Most disappointing, however, is the fact that he never really explains why his view of economics is the right one. He talked about it obsessively while leading Australia. His term as PM involved budget surpluses, a preference for private over public enterprise, a distrust of collective bargaining, and a lowering of income tax and raising of indirect tax. Why? ...more

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Sep 15, 2013 Eddie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Howard's weighty memoirs do a good job of explaining his political genesis, evolution, and decision-making process. I never shared much of a cultural vision for Australia with him, but I feel I now have a good understanding of how his government managed to stay in power for almost 12 years. He clearly comes across as a pragmatist and someone fundamentally skeptical about change, but adept at policy movement as political tides change. I sincerely hope someone in the Labor Party paid attention - H ...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Brendan Brooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography , non-fiction

Finally! Seriously, if you get the audio book with John Howard himself narrating, it is quite advantageous to listen to it in 2x speed. You miss nothing and knock it over in half the time, so mercy be.

To the content. I have to admit my opinion of Howard has risen slightly from extremely low to very very low. I will concede he is a person who has stood by his convictions his entire career and the chapters covering periods where he wasn't in power are quite interesting historical accounts. In fact Finally! Seriously, if you get the audio book with John Howard himself narrating, it is quite advantageous to listen to it in 2x speed. You miss nothing and knock it over in half the time, so mercy be.

To the content. I have to admit my opinion of Howard has risen slightly from extremely low to very very low. I will concede he is a person who has stood by his convictions his entire career and the chapters covering periods where he wasn't in power are quite interesting historical accounts. In fact, his coverage of the Rudd dumping and the election loss is pretty much partisan free in terms of analysis.

The chapters covering his own time in power and the decisions and issues can be excruciating. I read this fresh after reading George Bush and both are full of self idealising and excuse making. He takes a lot of undue credit for future events as well.

I think the biggest target in the book is Peter Costello, i don't think there is a person in world that would be more affected by it than Costello. These internal machinations told were interesting and painted Costello to be an entitled spoilt brat.

Reading in the current environment, i shuddered at the support Howard gives Abbott. In fact, I feel sure it would have been written differently if it was written after an Abbott failure at the next election. There are a lot of contradictions demonstrated in the behaviour of Abbott to a lot of the comments of Howard about policy and political behaviour. If someone was to pay me, I would reread this and and make a heck of a lot of notations around issues raised by Howard as ideal being totally contradicted by Abbott. In addition, the parallels between the carbon price debate and the GST are remarkable in the similarities in the economic environment.

I could go on, but Howard did, so I won't. ...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: librarybooks

‘Compromise is a necessary political tool, but conviction is the matter of success in politics.’

John Winston Howard, born 26 July 1939, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. John Howard was elected to the Australian Parliament in 1974 as the member for Bennelong. He held this seat until December 2007. During his long parliamentary career, he served as Treasurer (in the Fraser Government) from 1977 to 1983, and was leader of the Opposition from 1985 to 1989, and then from 1995. Mr Howard se ‘Compromise is a necessary political tool, but conviction is the matter of success in politics.’

John Winston Howard, born 26 July 1939, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. John Howard was elected to the Australian Parliament in 1974 as the member for Bennelong. He held this seat until December 2007. During his long parliamentary career, he served as Treasurer (in the Fraser Government) from 1977 to 1983, and was leader of the Opposition from 1985 to 1989, and then from 1995. Mr Howard served as Prime Minister from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007, and was the second longest serving Australian Prime Minister (after Sir Robert Menzies). Mr Howard also lost his own parliamentary seat in 2007: becoming the second Australian Prime Minister to do so.

Mr Howard’s autobiography spans his life from his childhood in suburban Sydney through to his government’s defeat in 2007. He tells us of the events and circumstances that influenced and motivated him and shaped his leadership.

The Howard Government presided over a period of strong economic growth in Australia. During this period, the Howard Government introduced strong gun control measures (after the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996) and undertook taxation and industrial relations reform.

This is an account of both John Howard’s 33 year political career and of a changing Australia during this period. It’s easy to read and while interpretations will differ about the stance taken on some issues, or the relative importance of others it is interesting to see what John Howard regarded as important, and why.

This is not a complete account of the Howard Government: it is still too close to the end of that government, and an objective assessment requires other more detached perspectives.
But by looking at John Howard’s own account of what he set out to achieve and why, we can decide how beneficial we believe those achievements were, and whether we are comfortable with all or some of the Howard legacy.

‘Politics is always about today’s reality, not that great realm of what might have been.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
...more

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Apr 23, 2014 Jason Willson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A true autobiography. At times it is tedious reading the self justification and opinions, but ultimately that is part of the charm of reading the personal reflections of those in public life - and it does ring true with the convictions expressed by the author in public life. A good perspective piece for the times of the Howard Government and those that followed directly afterward.

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Jan 01, 2015 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not generally a fan of political autobiographies. They can be full of all sorts of self-justification, and frankly, sections of Howard's book are slow going due to this.

However, there are gems hidden within this book that still make it an interesting read for anyone interested in Australian political history over the past 20 years.

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Jan 28, 2013 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I'm already a little admiring of John Howard so necessarily my appreciation of the book may be biased, but the historical element I think more than complements his own personal views and aims. It was great to relive many of the events that I witnessed as a teenager, experiencing them from the PM's perspective. It was like an insider's view of the last twenty years of Australian history. This autobiography may not have the timelessness one would hope, but that i ...more

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Jun 27, 2013 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: on-e-reader

This is a very long autobiography. However, it does give some interesting insights into the workings of the LNP as well as the Labor party. Howard gives the impression of being near perfect although he does admit to occasional errors of judgment. I would find it interesting to read a biography by someone else as I very much doubt if this would cast him in such a favourable light. On the other hand, it is certainly a very comprehensive of the events which have occurred during his career in Parlia ...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Glen Babington rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like the man this memoire is very dry. It provides a reasonable albeit biased view of 30 years of recent Australian history and provides good examples of how the effective execution of sensible policy can make a difference. It is less humble than I expected and often defensive in tone; surprisingly defaulting to 'I' rather than 'we' when talking about achievements. My favourite quote from the book comes from the Chapter titled ‘Reflections’ in which John Howard notes: ‘Compromise is a necessary ...more

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Apr 04, 2015 Gladstone G rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well written. Great book. Could not stop reading.

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Jun 11, 2015 Fred Charles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography , history

John Howard was a long time in politics and enjoyed a better than average run as prime minister, so I considered his book to be worth reading.
Probably only because I am an Australian I found it interesting. It did suffer very badly from the autobiography syndrome. I will wait a few years and read a biography.

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Nov 12, 2012 Jessica Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fascinating read. I'm by no means a fan of Johnny's, I wanted to read this book to understand his perspective on political and social issues. I also wanted insight into his relationships with his cohorts and key international and australian players. It delivered.

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Sep 19, 2014 Andrew Bishop rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: enthusiasts of Australian politics

Well it took over two years to read but i read it. OK the time it took read was simply because it took an effort to return to reading it! Actually an interesting read and an interesting view point on a range of issues but a long and dry read.

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May 23, 2015 Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On p 466 of my hardback edition of LR, Howard says President GW Bush was well briefed 3 times separately: "Well briefed, Bush ... ", " ... courteous, well briefed ..." and " ... across his brief ...".

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Oct 24, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While detailed and intense, Lazarus rising lacks one element that we expect from a political memoir, candid and frank which is why I give it 4 out of 5, instead of 5 out of 5.

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Sep 05, 2013 Fiona Lorimer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic read on the life of John Howard, the governments in office and the colleagues during his life as a politician. A must read for anyone interested in politics.

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Dec 12, 2013 Tony Richardson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

Up there with the greatest Prime Ministers of Australia. It has been all downhill since he left politics. An interesting and factual account although quite dry reading.

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Mar 25, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John's point of view and his story good reading as being the same age as John Howard I remember all the plays in politics over the years.

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Jan 11, 2015 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: right-leaning-politics-economics-et

https://www.goodreads.com/ #

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May 15, 2014 Cameron Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent................

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Dec 28, 2012 Mark Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great so far.

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About John Howard

John Howard waited a long time to become Prime Minister: by the time he won the job he had been in parliament for 22 years. Howard became Australia's second longest serving Prime Minister and during his term in office achieved nation-wide gun control legislation and significant reforms in industrial relations and taxation.

After eleven years in office Howard became the second Prime Minister to lose ...more

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