Previously published with the title: 'Illusions of power' in 1979.

The dismissal of the Whitlam government on November 11, 1975, was arguably the most dramatic event in Australian political history. To mark its 30th anniversary, this account by a then-insider who is also an authority on Australian constitutional history revisits the major themes of 1975 and describes how various interest groups set out to derail the reform agenda of the first Labor government in 23 years and ultimately, to drive it from office. Written with clarity and extraordinary insight, this study of power is also a fascinating political story that offers lessons about what may lie ahead for future opposition movements in Australia.

Machine derived contents note: Introduction 1 -- ONE: 365 days 5 -- TWO: The Titan: Gough Whitlam 16 -- THREE: Prophet without Honour: Jim Cairns 44 -- FOUR: Law and Disorder: Lionel Murphy 83 -- FIVE: An Equation in Hydrocarbons: Rex Connor 108 -- SIX: Room at the Top: John Kerr 127 -- SEVEN: State of Siege: reform and reaction 148 -- EIGHT: The Paper Chase: the loans affair 178 -- NINE: Supply and Demand: blocking the budget 205 -- TEN: Death in the Afternoon: 11 November 1975 239 -- ELEVEN: Dead Men Running: the election campaign 263 -- TWELVE: Limits of Power: the future of reform 277 -- THIRTEEN: Thirty Years On: the way ahead 294. Includes index.
Bibliography: p. 317-323.
[Variant title:Illusions of power]