Pitched Battle

in the frontline of the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia
Larry Writer

‘A vivid story of the men and women who took a stand when sport mixed with politics In 1971 … Pitched Battle recreates what became one of the most rancorous periods in modern Australian history — a time of courage, pain, faith, fanaticism, and political opportunism — which … ultimately contributed to the abandonment of Apartheid.’

Chain Reaction

‘Larry Writer tells this amazing story with aplomb, showing admirable balance as he weaves together rugby, politics and social change. This is much more than a sports book and will appeal to all lovers of good Australian social and political history.’

Dave Martus, Books+Publishing

A vivid story of the men and women who took a stand when sport mixed with politics.

In 1971, when the racially selected all-white Springbok rugby team toured Australia, it became a nation at war with itself. There was bloodshed as tens of thousands of anti-apartheid campaigners clashed with governments, police, and rugby fans — who were given free reign to assault protestors. Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declared a state of emergency. Prime minister William McMahon called the Wallabies who refused to play ‘national disgraces’. Barbed wire ringed the great rugby grounds to stop protestors invading the field.

Pitched Battle recreates what became of the most rancorous periods in modern Australian history — a time of courage, pain, faith, fanaticism, and political opportunism — which ultimately made heroes of the seven Wallabies who refused to play, played a key role in the later political careers of Peter Beattie, Meredith Burgmann, and Peter Hain, and ultimately led to the abandonment of apartheid.

Chain Reaction

Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 234mm × 153mm

Extent:336pp

ISBN (13):9781925228748

RRP:£16.99

Pub date:8 Dec 2016

Rights Held: World

High-res cover:Download Image

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Larry Writer

Larry Writer is a Sydney-based author whose books include Dangerous Games: Australia at the 1936 Nazi Olympics; Razor (adapted into the hit TV series Underbelly: Razor); Never Before, Never Again; Pleasure and Pain (the official biography of Chrissy Amphlett); and Bumper: the life and times of Frank ‘Bumper’ Farrell.

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We publish books that matter — narrative and literary nonfiction on important topics, and the best of local, international, and translated fiction.

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Pitched Battle

in the frontline of the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia
Larry Writer

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in the frontline of the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia
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