Top 5 books about politics

This one feels particularly significant from an Australian perspective.

Gillard’s memoir offers a candid look at the decisions she made during her time as Prime Minister. But what makes it especially compelling is the context surrounding those choices. She was not only navigating the usual pressures of leadership, but doing so as Australia’s first (and still only) female Prime Minister, while working in a hung Parliament.

That lens adds an additional layer to the “why” behind many of her decisions. The scrutiny (particularly from the media), expectations, and challenges she faced were often different in kind, not just degree. It makes her reflections on leadership feel particularly nuanced, especially when she unpacks how those external pressures shaped both her approach and the outcomes.

This is a really different inclusion for me, because I don’t align politically with the Australian Liberal Party (which is right-wing or ‘red’ for the Americans). But I’m still genuinely interested in how certain decisions were made.

Howard’s memoir provides a detailed look at his time as Prime Minister, with a strong focus on the reasoning behind key policy decisions. What stands out is the level of strategic thinking involved, the way political timing, public sentiment, and long-term impact all factor into the choices being made.

There are particularly big moments during Howard’s tenure, such as the introduction of the Australian gun law changes and the gun buyback scheme following the mass shooting in Port Arthur, as well as the implementation of the GST.

These are significant, often debated decisions, but you can’t deny the impact of them on our country. And seeing the thought process behind them adds a layer of understanding that you don’t get from headlines alone.

Even when I don’t agree with the broader politics, there’s real value in unpacking the “why” behind decisions like these, and that’s exactly what makes this memoir worth reading.

While not a traditional political memoir, Becoming offers a different perspective on decision-making within political life.

This is less about policy and more about the personal decisions that come with living in the public eye. What to prioritise, what to sacrifice, and how to maintain a sense of identity within a role that is constantly being defined by others.

What makes it so effective is how clearly those choices are articulated. Michelle Obama reflects on the reasoning behind her decisions with a level of honesty that makes the book feel incredibly grounded. It broadens the idea of political leadership to include the quieter, often unseen decisions that shape public life.

Plus she narrates her own story in the audiobook and I am a sucker for that.

This is a very different inclusion, but an important one when thinking about the impact of political decisions.

While Eddie Jaku wasn’t a politician, his story as a Holocaust survivor speaks directly to the consequences of decisions made at the highest levels of power. It shifts the focus from the decision-makers to the people who live with the outcomes.

What makes this perspective so powerful is how it reframes the idea of “why.” It reminds us that political reasoning doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and it has real, lasting effects on people’s lives. His reflections bring a human dimension to political decision-making that’s impossible to ignore.