The Road to Ruin: the bestselling prequel to Plots and Prayers
About this ebook
WINNER OF THE 2016 MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
‘There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping.’
–Tony Abbott, 15 September 2015
Abbott’s performances in the party-room debates on education and climate change had ranged between woeful and pathetic. He sounded desperate, he was inconsistent, and — his colleagues thought — slightly ridiculous. They knew he would never stop going after cheap headlines during soft interviews where he sucked up the oxygen, with revision and division as his calling cards. All they could hope was that people would soon grow tired of listening to him. Normal people might have, but the media grew more and more hysterical, as if a challenge were imminent.
In the original edition of The Road to Ruin, prominent political commentator, author, and columnist for The Australian Niki Savva revealed the ruinous behaviour of former prime minister Tony Abbott and his chief of staff, Peta Credlin. Based on her unrivalled access to their colleagues, and devastating first-person accounts of what went on behind the scenes, Savva painted an unforgettable picture of a unique duo who wielded power ruthlessly but not well.
That edition became a major bestseller, and went on to win an Australian book industry award for the best general non-fiction book of the year.
Now Savva continues where she left off. This updated edition contains a new, 13,500-word final chapter, in which Savva reveals the inner state of the Turnbull government — and the behind-the-scenes jockeying of friends and foes alike. From Christopher Pyne’s career-stalling own goal, to Peter Dutton’s post-Turnbull leadership ambitions, to Tony Abbott’s ramped-up destabilisation campaign, it is, as usual, an unputdownable and impeccably sourced account.
PRAISE FOR NIKI SAVVA
‘This is what you have to remember about Savva’s controversial book, The Road to Ruin: she was onto this story early and she ran with it in her weekly column … her account of the coup is both suspenseful and full of fascinating, granular detail.’ The Sydney Morning Herald
‘[W]ell researched and well written, with a sharp eye — albeit with an occasional, serrated edge. Savva has written a book in which it is easy to be immersed. The narrative unfolds in a convincing flow, sourced directly from the words of many of the players: the bruised and battered; the disillusioned and disaffected; and ultimately in the triumphant voices of the Coalition plotters … [A] compelling book that has established an indelible and influential benchmark for explaining the turbulent rise and tumultuous fall of the Abbott government.’ The Weekend Australian
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About the author
Niki Savva is one of the most senior correspondents in the Canberra Press Gallery. She was twice political correspondent for The Australian, and headed up the Canberra bureaus of both The Herald Sun and The Age. When family tragedy forced a career change, she became Peter Costello’s press secretary for six years and was then on John Howard’s staff for three. Her work has brought her into intimate contact with Australia’s major political players for more than 40 years. She is a regular columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and often appears on ABC TV’s Insiders. Her first book, So Greek, a memoir, provided rare insights into the relationship between Howard and Costello, and the workings of their government. The Road to Ruin, the first volume in what became her trilogy about Australia’s Coalition governments that ruled from 2013 to 2022, was a major bestseller, and won the 2016 General Nonfiction Book of the Year Award at the Australian Book Industry Awards. The second volume, Plots and Prayers, which dealt with the government led by Malcolm Turnbull and the ascension of Scott Morrison, was also a bestseller. The third volume, Bulldozed, which dealt with the demise of the government led by Scott Morrison Turnbull and the ascension of Anthony Albanese, was also a major bestseller and won the 2023 General Nonfiction Book of the Year Award at the Australian Book Industry Awards. In March 2017, the Melbourne Press Club presented Niki with a lifetime achievement award for ‘outstanding coverage of Australian politics as a reporter, columnist and author’.
