(John Anderson was the leader of the Australian National Party and Deputy Prime Minister for many years until 2005.)
My initial impression as I started to read Faith & Duty : the John Anderson story by Paul Gallagher (Random House, 2006) was how often tragedy had struck John Anderson’s life. His mother died of cancer when he was three, his sister died during a backyard cricket match when John accidentally hit her with a cricket ball, and he lost his youngest son at six months through major health problems. John’s father’s life was equally tragic losing a wife and a daughter. He also suffered from war injuries, physically and emotionally.
Nevertheless this is not a sad book but rather the genuine account of a man’s life. John is portrayed as a man of integrity and faith. A faith that was born as a result of his sister’s death and carried him through the many trails of political life. I must admit to skimming over some of the political issues in the book due to my general lack of interest in politics however I still found it interesting to read about people who have made up parliament.
Paul Gallagher writes in an easy to read manner and tells John Anderson’s story with truth and compassion.
Technorati Tag: Faith & Duty
