Sir Isaac Isaacs: First Australian-Born Governor-General
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - small tears. Page Condition: Good. Markings: No markings. Usual shelf-wear.
In the annals of Australian political history, few figures commanded as much respect and controversy as Sir Isaac Isaacs — jurist, statesman, and the first Australian-born Governor-General, whose life spanned nearly a century from 1855 to 1948. Max Gordon's biography chronicles the remarkable journey of a man who rose from modest beginnings to occupy the highest vice-regal office in the land, navigating the turbulent currents of federation, constitutional law, and imperial politics with unwavering conviction. Gordon presents Isaacs not merely as a legal luminary who served on the High Court of Australia, but as a principled nationalist who dared to challenge the conventions of British imperial deference at every turn. This authoritative account illuminates the broader tensions between Australian sovereignty and imperial loyalty that defined the early Commonwealth era, drawing on Isaacs' landmark judgments and his fiercely independent political philosophy. Gordon's prose is measured and precise, reflecting the judicial temperament of its subject while never losing sight of the human drama beneath the robes and regalia. For those who seek to understand how Australia forged its national identity in the shadow of empire, this biography offers an indispensable and deeply compelling portrait.
Author: Max Gordon
Format: Hardback
Published: 1963, Heinemann
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Condition: Good. Jacket: Worn/faded - small tears. Page Condition: Good. Markings: No markings. Usual shelf-wear.
In the annals of Australian political history, few figures commanded as much respect and controversy as Sir Isaac Isaacs — jurist, statesman, and the first Australian-born Governor-General, whose life spanned nearly a century from 1855 to 1948. Max Gordon's biography chronicles the remarkable journey of a man who rose from modest beginnings to occupy the highest vice-regal office in the land, navigating the turbulent currents of federation, constitutional law, and imperial politics with unwavering conviction. Gordon presents Isaacs not merely as a legal luminary who served on the High Court of Australia, but as a principled nationalist who dared to challenge the conventions of British imperial deference at every turn. This authoritative account illuminates the broader tensions between Australian sovereignty and imperial loyalty that defined the early Commonwealth era, drawing on Isaacs' landmark judgments and his fiercely independent political philosophy. Gordon's prose is measured and precise, reflecting the judicial temperament of its subject while never losing sight of the human drama beneath the robes and regalia. For those who seek to understand how Australia forged its national identity in the shadow of empire, this biography offers an indispensable and deeply compelling portrait.