Ross Fitzgerald

Arguably Australia's most influential political journalist, Alan 'The Red Fox' Reid covered Australian politics from the 1930s to the 1980s. During his career he was both a chronicler of, and player in, Australian politics. In this book Ross Fitzgerald and Stephen Holt take us into a Machiavellian behind-the-scenes world of recurrent plots, crises and leadership challenges, and show how it was possible for a skilled journalist to help shape both public perceptions and actual outcomes of political power plays.

'I turn 65 on Christmas Day 2009. If I survive, I'll be 40 years sober. This means that I have had 40 more years on this planet than I otherwise would have had if I hadn't stopped drinking alcohol.' From his first drink at the age of fourteen Ross Fitzgerald has struggled with alcoholism. His story is one of despair, courage and hope - and living to see another day. He writes about growing up in Melbourne, drinking his way through university in Australia and the US, being incarcerated and subjected to electric shock therapy and reaching rock bottom before being saved by Alcoholics Anonymous. One of Australia's most widely-published historians, his story is truly inspiring. Insightful and brutally honest, ""My Name is Ross"" is his account of life as an alcoholic and his battle to get sober and stay sober.