Books by Anne Henderson

Patrick McMahon Glynn was not the typical nineteenth-century Irish immigrant. Erudite and principled, this committed Catholic’s contribution to Australian society as a lawyer and parliamentarian has long deserved to be better known. Anne Henderson’s compelling and scholarly Federation’s Man of Letters ably fills this gap.-- MARGARET BEAZLEY AO QC

This is the story of an extraordinary woman - mother of twelve, Prime Minister's wife, first woman member of the House of Representatives and the first woman in a Federal Cabinet, radio broadcaster, newspaper columnist, author of three books - Enid Lyons was for many years the best known woman in Australia.Anne Henderson takes us on an intriguing tour of the first half of 20th century Australia - a time when politics was more fluid yet with many of the problems we face today - political party dysfunction, the widening gap between rich and poor, rural and urban, economic recession and the role of women in public life.In researching Enid Lyons' family background, Anne Henderson uncovers new and intriguing information about a 'family secret'.

In the months following his resignation as PM in late August 1941, Robert Menzies swayed between relief at his release from the burdens of office and despair that his life at the top had come to so little. This is an original and insightful book about Menzies' 1939-41 government and his so-called wilderness years.