{"product_id":"2026200012562-secondhand-johannes-bjelke-petersen-a-political-biography","title":"Johannes Bjelke-Petersen: A Political Biography","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFew figures in Australian political history have proven as polarising, tenacious, or enigmatic as Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, the Queensland Premier who held power for nearly two decades with an iron grip and an unshakeable conviction in his own authority. Hugh Lunn's Johannes Bjelke-Petersen: A Political Biography chronicles the remarkable rise of a Danish-born farmer's son who transformed himself into one of the most dominant and controversial politicians in Australian state history, tracing his journey from rural obscurity to the heights of Queensland's National Party machine. Lunn, an award-winning journalist who covered Queensland politics firsthand, brings a reporter's sharp eye and an insider's access to bear on a subject that defied easy categorisation — a deeply religious man who presided over rampant development, a champion of the regions who became a creature of corporate power.\n\nThe biography presents a nuanced portrait of a political era defined by gerrymandering, resource booms, and the suppression of civil liberties, situating Bjelke-Petersen within the broader story of Queensland's turbulent post-war transformation. Lunn's prose is measured yet incisive, drawing on personal interviews and meticulous research to illuminate the private man behind the public persona. For anyone seeking to understand the fault lines of Australian conservatism and the enduring power of regional populism, this portrait of Joh raises questions that resonate far beyond the borders of the Sunshine State.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49130947313883,"sku":"2026200012562-SECONDHAND","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/b799c194-9699-487b-9724-1574db9e8c7b.png?v=1786593145","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200012562-secondhand-johannes-bjelke-petersen-a-political-biography","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}