AustLit

'The first major biography of Lachlan Murdoch, one of the world's most powerful and enigmatic people - an epic saga of ruthless power plays and family battles

As heir apparent to the first global media dynasty, Lachlan Murdoch has been waiting to run his father Rupert's empire all his life. In this riveting first biography of a little-understood but hugely influential figure, acclaimed journalist Paddy Manning asks: can the dutiful son hang onto the empire, or will the third generation of Murdoch moguls prove the last?

'Despite a life in the spotlight, Lachlan's personality, politics and business acumen remain obscure. Is he the ultra-conservative ideologue media reports maintain, or a free-thinking libertarian, as some friends suggest?

'Drawing on unprecedented access to Lachlan Murdoch's inner circle, Manning explores Lachlan's upbringing, his political beliefs, what we can expect from his time at the helm and whether he has what it takes to chart a future for this century-old company.

'This is a book about the good, the bad and the ugly of the global media world, and about America in the age of Trump and Murdoch. It is a book about power, apprenticeship and succession.' (Publication summary)

'Born to Rule is the unauthorised biography that unravels the many layers of the man who has just become the 29th Prime Minister of Australia.

'The highs and lows of Malcolm Turnbull's remarkable career are documented here in technicolour detail by journalist Paddy Manning. Based on countless interviews and painstaking research, it is a forensic investigation into one of Australia's most celebrated overachievers.

'Turnbull's relentless energy and quest for achievement have taken him from exclusive Point Piper to Oxford University; from beating the Thatcher government in the Spycatcher trial to losing the referendum on the republic; from defending the late Kerry Packer—codenamed Goanna—in the Costigan Royal Commission to defending his own role in the failure of HIH, Australia's biggest corporate collapse. He was involved in the unravelling of the Tourang bid for Fairfax, struck it rich as co-founder of OzEmail, and fought his own hotly contested battle for Wentworth.

As opposition leader he was duped by Godwin Grech's 'Utegate' fiasco; as the most tech-savvy communications minister he oversaw a nobbled NBN scheme. And now he has assumed the leadership of the Liberal Party for the second time after wresting the prime ministership from first-term PM Tony Abbott.

'Will Turnbull crash and burn as he has before or has his entire tumultuous life been a rehearsal for this moment?' (Publication summary)

'Hunter Valley electrician Nathan Tinkler borrowed big to turn a fortune from a speculative coal play, bursting onto the rich list in 2008 and quickly becoming Australia’s youngest billionaire at the age of 35. Tinkler lived the high life as only a young man

would: buying up mansions, football teams, private jets, exotic supercars and splurging hundreds of millions of dollars to indulge his family’s love of horseracing.'

'But Tinkler left a trail of destruction in his wake. His skill was to borrow heavily, pick up neglected coal assets, prove them up and quickly on-sell them at a huge profit. It only worked in a rising market and when coal prices slumped in 2012, he had no cashflow to service his huge debts. Tinkler looked for help but he had burned too many bridges, and his downfall came as quickly as his meteoric rise. This is a stunning biography, filled with colour and movement, by one of Australia’s leading business writers.' (Publisher's blurb)