One Hundred Days of Summer
How we got to where we are
1st Edition
Published on 28. July 2010
304 pages
978-1-74253-101-4 (ISBN)
Description
Written in Bob Ellis's inimitable style, this is a very personal book about the recent period of intense political change in Australia. Ellis's diary-style narrative starts on 12 November, 2009 (when Rhys Muldoon picks Ellis up from Parliament House and drives him to visit the poet Les Murray at Bunyah for some lively political discussions) and takes us through to when Bob's sometime mentor, Mike Rann, faces his recent assailant in in an Adelaide court. The book includes coverage and analysis of sittings of the New South Wales Parliament and the result of the South Australian election. A final section updates events through to April.
Bob Ellis is close to many of the political players during this rapidly-changing period in Australian politics, but he also manages to stay plugged in to the cultural scene, and has plenty to say about the films, books and theatre of the period.
'If you are yet to become a convert to his laconic and hilarious writing, start now' - Canberra Times
'Bob Ellis is never less than hugely entertaining. He combines hyperbole, passion, intensely personal reminiscence, emotions always on the surface, implausible and outrageous generalisations and sullen anger into a hilarious mixture of Shakespearean rhetoric and good, old-fashioned Hunter S. Thompson-inspired gonzo journalism' - Sydney Morning Herald
Bob Ellis is close to many of the political players during this rapidly-changing period in Australian politics, but he also manages to stay plugged in to the cultural scene, and has plenty to say about the films, books and theatre of the period.
'If you are yet to become a convert to his laconic and hilarious writing, start now' - Canberra Times
'Bob Ellis is never less than hugely entertaining. He combines hyperbole, passion, intensely personal reminiscence, emotions always on the surface, implausible and outrageous generalisations and sullen anger into a hilarious mixture of Shakespearean rhetoric and good, old-fashioned Hunter S. Thompson-inspired gonzo journalism' - Sydney Morning Herald
More details
Person
Bob Ellis (10 May 1942 - 3 April 2016) was a well-known writer, journalist, filmmaker and political commentator. He wrote books, screenplays, poetry, political speeches, and film reviews.
He had a long and close involvement with politics, covering as a journalist 25 campaigns in Australia, the UK, the US, and writing speeches for Kim Beazley, Bob Carr, Mike Rann, Nathan Rees and Kamahl. In 1994 he stood as an Independent against Bronwyn Bishop, who was then thought likely to lead the Liberal Party.
He co-wrote the classic films Newsfront, Fatty Finn, Man of Flowers and Goodbye Paradise and co-authored the musical play The Legend of King O'Malley, the television miniseries The True Believers and the Ben Chifley play A Local Man. He wrote and directed the feature films Unfinished Business and The Nostradamus Kid and wrote and appeared in the documentary Bastards from the Bush about his long friendship with Les Murray, and Run Rabbit Run, a film about Mike Rann. His film work won numerous nominations and awards for writing and direction, including three Premier's Literary Awards, three AFIs, five AWGIES and a Critics' Circle Award. He was for 40 years a contentious essayist and critic, and in 2002 was voted Columnist of the Year by the Magazine Publishers Association.
Bob wrote several novels and works of non-fiction including the best sellers The Capitalism Delusion, And So It Went, Goodbye Jerusalem, Goodbye Babylon, So It Goes, Night Thoughts in Time of War, The Season, The Hewson Tapes and Letters to the Future.
He had a long and close involvement with politics, covering as a journalist 25 campaigns in Australia, the UK, the US, and writing speeches for Kim Beazley, Bob Carr, Mike Rann, Nathan Rees and Kamahl. In 1994 he stood as an Independent against Bronwyn Bishop, who was then thought likely to lead the Liberal Party.
He co-wrote the classic films Newsfront, Fatty Finn, Man of Flowers and Goodbye Paradise and co-authored the musical play The Legend of King O'Malley, the television miniseries The True Believers and the Ben Chifley play A Local Man. He wrote and directed the feature films Unfinished Business and The Nostradamus Kid and wrote and appeared in the documentary Bastards from the Bush about his long friendship with Les Murray, and Run Rabbit Run, a film about Mike Rann. His film work won numerous nominations and awards for writing and direction, including three Premier's Literary Awards, three AFIs, five AWGIES and a Critics' Circle Award. He was for 40 years a contentious essayist and critic, and in 2002 was voted Columnist of the Year by the Magazine Publishers Association.
Bob wrote several novels and works of non-fiction including the best sellers The Capitalism Delusion, And So It Went, Goodbye Jerusalem, Goodbye Babylon, So It Goes, Night Thoughts in Time of War, The Season, The Hewson Tapes and Letters to the Future.
