Donald Horne: A Life in the Lucky Country by Ryan Cropp

In the 1960s, Donald Horne offered Australians a compelling reinterpretation of the Menzies years as a period of social and political inertia and mediocrity. His book The Lucky Country was profoundly influential and, without doubt, one of the most significant shots ever fired in Australia’s endless culture war.

Ryan Cropp’s landmark biography positions Horne as an antipodean Orwell, a lively, independent and distinct literary voice ‘searching for the temper of the people, accepting it, and moving on from there’. Through the eyes – and unforgettable words – of this preternaturally observant and articulate man, we see a recognisable modern Australia emerge.

Shortlisted for the 2024 National Biography Award

‘A compulsive read about a writer who shaped the way we Australians think about ourselves’ —Judith Brett

‘Unmissable for anybody interested in the intellectual life of this country’ —Sean Kelly

‘Ryan Cropp’s thoughtful life of Donald Horne … charted the restless and provocative habits of his subject with care and elegance, and animated decades of faded news and current affairs with colour and poise.’ —Patrick Mullins, Australian Book Review ‘Books of the Year 2023’

‘In his accomplished and insightful biography … Cropp has captured a full life, well lived, that was a tribute to the importance of paying attention and making a difference.’ —Julianne Schultz, The Conversation

Correction: We wish to alert readers to an error in the first printing of Donald Horne: A Life in the Lucky Country. On page 187, the book incorrectly states that Donald Horne’s childhood diaries are not included in his manuscript papers and that the excerpts in his autobiography were reworked rather than lightly edited. This has been amended in the ebook edition.