The history of the Australian Labor Party – which is a storied journey of successes, failures, collaboration, camaraderie disunity, and betrayal – is masterfully told in a new book, A Little History of the Australian Labor Party.

Written by Nick Dyrenfurth and Frank Bongiorno, it leaves no stone unturned, covering the ALP’s entire history from its origins in the late 1880s to its federal election win in May 2022. This may make you think it’s a thick book, but it’s actually not. As the title indicates, it’s pretty slim, and an avid reader can easily finish it in one sitting. The chapters – which tell the ALP’s story during specific time periods – are divided into sections for easy reading.

The book is also not quite as formal and ‘dry’ as some other non-fiction books. It’s engaging, easy to understand, and flows well. A lot of research has also gone into it, as the reference section clearly shows.

A Little History’s only limitation, in my (humble) opinion, is that it glosses over some historical events and a few federal and state Labor governments – but it’s likely Dyrenfurth and Bongiorno did this to maintain the book’s conciseness. The book is still a worthwhile read, though.

I would recommend A Little History of the Australian Labor Party to history buffs and those interested in politics.

With a federal election on the horizon, the Labor Party is probably hoping not to ‘become history’ in Peter Dutton’s rear-vision mirror.

About the authors

Nick Dyrenfurth is a media commentator who is also executive director of the John Curtain Research Centre and adjunct research fellow at Monash University’s School of Historical Studies. He has served as secretary for the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History and the ALP’s National Policy Forum, and worked as a Labor Party adviser and speechwriter.

Frank Bongiorno is a regular contributor to media on Australian history and politics. He is also a professor of history at the ANU and president of the Australian Historical Society, among other things.

Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018, and can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.

Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).