For most of the twenty-first century, Australia's national politics has been characterised by tumult and disruption: seven prime ministers; stagnation in key policy areas; dwindling support for the established parties; insurgencies on the left and right flanks; and declining public trust in government and the democratic system itself.

The flux is occurring in the context of a global democratic winter, exemplified by the rise of strongman populists who foment and feed on public grievance. It is an era in which the power of leaders to make and unmake the world is vividly on display. Understanding those who govern us is an urgent task.

In The Alchemy of Leadership, Paul Strangio examines the formative experiences, personality traits, world views and leadership styles of prime ministers of the last quarter century. How much of the instability of the period has been due to these individual office holders? Why has political leadership been so confounding?

Strangio's study reveals how a homegrown version of conservative populism was smuggled into mainstream politics from the beginning of the century, which had a catalytic effect on both major parties. The 2025 federal election represented a watershed in the repudiation of that kind of politics. The centre held ? Australia's mostly unremarked democratic exceptionalism emerged resilient. Yet brave and judicious leadership will be vital if the country is to continue as a safe harbour when democracy is besieged globally.