Author(s): Paul Goldsmith

NZ Non Fiction

Love him or loathe, there's no doubting John Banks' impact on the political scene in New Zealand. Always outspoken and controversial, a loose cannon who has sometimes embarrassed his colleagues and his leader, John Banks - 'Banksie' to his supporters - has seen the tide of his political fortunes ebb and flow over the years, but he has remained unshakeable in his beliefs. This authorised biography gives a balanced and revealing portrait of a man whose parents were both convicted criminals. From a farming foster family to his parents' nasty trade in Newton Gully, through the brash and lucrative years of the 1970s in which a fortune was won and held, to spectacular success on the hustings, a controversial time as a cabinet minister, an inflammatory career in talkback radio and his recent election as Mayor of Auckland - Paul Goldsmith's book is a frank account of the life and times of John Banks, a politician whom even his detractors grudgingly admire. This is an updated edition, with a new chapter examining Banks' life and career in the years since his biography was first published, and bringing us right up to date with recent events.