Years of Rage - 3rd Edition by Tom O'Lincoln (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

It's 1975, and the Liberal Party's Malcolm Fraser makes a ruthless grab for power. Workers resist, opening up seven years of bitter class conflict. Years of Rage analyses the crisis into which Australia plunged under Whitlam. It outlines the actions of politicians, capitalists, oppressed people and above all the organized working class. From the upheavals of the Constitutional Crisis through to the strikes in defence of universal health care and on to the 1981 "wage push", Tom O'Lincoln traces the industrial and political struggles. O'Lincoln's accounts of the social movements against oppression, unemployment, environmental ruin and war complement the story. Originally written in 1993, Years of Rage remains the key work on the Fraser years from the point of view of those who did maintain their rage. It demythologizes the standard beliefs about the Whitlam and Fraser governments. The book argues that the exhaustion of the two sides enabled the rise of the neo-liberal governments of Hawke and Keating. This is a partisan and Marxist history. The author's sympathies lie with the militants and activists fighting for a better world.

Review Quotes

Tom O'Lincoln's study of the Fraser era is a gripping history of the popular struggles of a turbulent decade as well as a penetrating analysis of the dynamics of the era's political, labour and economic history. Now in its third edition, and richly deserving its status as a classic work of radical and working-class history, Years of Rage is indispensable reading for anyone interested in this time of intense conflict and deep crisis. It is a people's history, the work of an activist whose life has been devoted to revolutionary politics - and therefore a book of wisdom for others who share Tom's commitment to societies founded on solidarity, equality and justice.

Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, Australian National University

Malcolm Fraser died with a reputation in liberal circles as something of a progressive. As prime minister, however, Fraser was a ruling class warrior charged with rolling back the gains workers and the oppressed had won in the preceding years of popular struggle. Years of Rage is a great example of materialist history - detailing the forces that championed the Fraser government and the obstacles it faced, most importantly the determination of workers to resist ruling class plans. O'Lincoln was a participant or close observer in many of the battles and he uses his intimate knowledge to great effect. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the coup that brought Fraser to power, it is important to remind ourselves of the record of those turbulent years. Years of Rage is an excellent contribution to the historiography of that time.

Tom Bramble, author of 'Trade Unionism in Australia: A History from Flood to Ebb Tide', (Cambridge, 2008) and 'Labor's Conflict: Big Business, Workers and the Politics of Class', (Cambridge, 2011) (with Rick Kuhn).