| Book Review | Labour History, 96 | The History Cooperative

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to Labor History online. About 199 words from this article are provided below; about 607 words remain.

If you are a individual subscriber to Labour History, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a subscriber to Labour History, you can:: • subscribe here.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of Labour History (82 - present).
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

BOOK REVIEW

Ken Buckley, Buckley's! Ken Buckley: Historian, Author and Civil Libertarian: An Autobiography, A & A Books, Sydney, 2008. pp. 373. $29.95 paper.

As its subtitle suggests, this autobiography of the late Ken Buckley (1922–2006) is that of a 'Historian, Author and Civil Libertarian'. On page 203, Buckley confesses that during the writing process he needed to remind himself constantly that 'this book is an autobiography, not a history of the Council of Civil Liberties' (CCL). In large part Ken succeeds on both fronts, but there is no disguising the fact that Buckley's is a strongly personal account of that estimable organisation, the NSW CCL. Born in 1963 amidst growing evidence of abuses of police power in New South Wales, for a man like Ken Buckley, of firm socialist convictions, committed to the extension and maintenance of democratic rights and civil liberties, the CCL was a perfect marriage of political activism and intellectual engagement. Indeed he is no doubt right – establishing and sustaining the CCL over more than 30 years was the greatest achievement of his life. Stockily built, like the former rugby front row forward he once was, Ken Buckley confronted injustice and censorship front-on.

. . .

There are about 607 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.