My Story (Gillard book)

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My Story is Julia Gillard’s autobiography, published in 2014 by Random House Australia. It covers her life and political career, including her time as Deputy Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010 and as Prime Minister from 2010 to 2013, making her the first and so far only woman to hold those roles. The book looks at her life as a member of parliament for Lalor (1998–2013) and her rise within the Australian Labor Party, as well as the ups and downs of the Rudd-Gillard governments.

A key focus is Gillard’s path to power, the leadership challenges against Kevin Rudd, and her government’s policy achievements and problems. She is frank about the way Rudd and his supporters undermined her leadership, which led to leadership spills and, ultimately, to her being replaced by Rudd in 2013. The book also discusses the opposition’s tough stance under Tony Abbott and Gillard’s response to events such as the 2012 Misogyny Speech.

The autobiography is divided into two parts: “How I Did It,” which explains how she challenged Rudd and the governance issues she faced, and “Why I Did It,” which covers her life and the policy work of her government.

Since its release, new editions have added material on post-prime-ministership events, including later Liberal Party leadership changes that brought Tony Abbott down and Malcolm Turnbull to power.

Details: My Story runs 504 pages and was published in September 2014. It was launched by Dame Quentin Bryce and quickly became a high-profile release, selling thousands of copies in its first week.

The book received generally favorable reviews for offering insight into how government works and Gillard’s perspective on the leadership battles of that era. It also sparked controversy, including a dispute involving Senator Nick Xenophon over a claim in the book; Random House apologized to Xenophon in 2015 and paid a settlement, and Gillard later published a personal apology.