Australia’s China Odyssey
- Author: James Curran (Prof. History at Sydney University)
- Title: Australia’s China Odyssey (320 pg) 2022
- Genre: Non-fiction
- Australian TBR List
- #AusReadingMonth23 @ This Reading Life (Brona’s Books)
- Trivia: This is my 4th book on the Australian Political Book of 2023
- I will wait until Thursday, 12 October to see the shortlist
- .…hopefully I’ve read some of the selected books.
- I have looked carefully at the rest of the books (6) and there is not one book that
- I really want to read.
- I’ve done my best…and now it is time to move on to another
- NF book….recently published a real “blind date”.
Good news: The book was very good…very informative. Mr. Curran walks us through the AUS-CHINA foreign policy. In the 1960s PM’s R. Menzies, H. Holt, J. Gorton and B. McMahon had to face the world without Britain and an America burnt by defeat in Vietnam. Those jolts lead China to flex their strategic muscles, sensing American weakness.
Good news: I’m reading about China …..from Australia’s point of view. An Australia that was not afraid to “push back” against USA’s foreign policy was refreshing to read about.
Bad news: Book starts out like a college lecture….just a quickscan of Australian foreign policy about China. Where’s the hook? Nothing new here. I considered not reading any further in the book…but #AusReadingMonth23 challange kept me focused. I’m glad I did not give up on this book!
Good news: The book makes glaringly clear that the world changes especially China, Australia and USA! Australia has realized that China’s policy toward Australia has been “hostile” since 2017. Australia is very much in Xi Jinping’s cross-hairs! Australia is privately concerned that its great power ally (USA) might not be there to protect them from a rising Asian menace.
Personal:
It is clear that the Chinese are masters….near-geniuses and coldblooded analysts of the balance of power. Sentiment is not something they are concerned with. PM Anthony Albanese must set a new tone to Australian diplomacy to protect Australian interest and values.
Last thoughts:
- For political history buffs this is a great book to add to your library.
- Will this book win Australian Poltical Book of the Year?
- I see this book on the shortlist
- …it is a fine piece of political history.
- James Curran can only be happy that his longlist nomination
- …puts his book at least in the spotlight.
- Win? I don’t think so.
- The writing is excellent, scholarly…
- …but the book caters to a niche market
- …specific group of history lovers…of which I am one!
- PS: I can name ALL the Australian
- …Prime Ministers from 1972 – 2003!
NancyElin.blog 
There are lots of books out atm about our relationship with China – our political affairs shelf is full of them at work!
Where will your ‘blind date’ take you this time?
Sydney (1810) meeting Governor Lachlan Macquarie and Rev. Samuel Marsden! Lots of history….
PM Albanese + (Penny Wong) has at least persuaded the Chinese to lower some tariffs on Australian goods and free journalist Cheng Lei! I’d like to read “The Queen is Dead” by Stan Grant but the paperback is 28 euro…and won’t be here until the end of November. I’ll wait for the E-book!