WEST, ANDREW & MORRIS, RACHEL — Bob Carr a Self-Made Man

Australia, HarperCollins. 2003. Soft cover with dust jacket, 19.5cm. Book, 423pp, 2 photo sections, 800g to post. Bob Carr is in every respect a self-made man - 'a serious construction', as his childhood friend Michael Boggs describes him. If you think you know Bob Carr, think again. Born the son of a train driver, raised in working-class Matraville, Carr was propelled by a desire for something more in life. Through sheer effort and determination, he excelled at school and university and carved himself a key role in the Labor Party. Written by two leading journalists, this biography reveals the man beneath and beyond the public exterior. Featuring material drawn from exclusive interviews with Carr, his family, friends and colleagues (as well as his opponents), it sheds new light on Carr's rise to power. It offers a unique insight into the honing of his political skills, and the ongoing challenges from his opponents within the party. On a personal note, Bob Carr talks openly for the first time about the death of his youngest brother, Greg, from a heroin overdose. Excellent/None issued.