The Last Intellectuals: Essays on Writers and Politics / Peter Coleman

The struggle from 1946 to 1989 between Western civilisation and communism known as the Cold War took place not only through political confrontation in Central Europe and Latin America and military conflict on the battlefields of Asia. There was also a global cultural war fought by writers in magazines, newspapers and books. Peter Coleman was one of Australia’s central figures in this great contest. His book records how journalists, essayists, poets, novelists and editors defended cultural freedom and contributed to the eventual collapse of communism. In his role in the process, the author developed into one of Australia’s most distinguished writers. The beautifully crafted essays in the book record his career in journalism and politics and his counsel about what we should do with our lives.

Read the review in News Weekly here.

Peter Coleman was editor of Quadrant for twenty years. His other books include a critique of the Congress for Cultural Freedom The Liberal Conspiracy, the autobiographical Memoirs of a Slow Learner, and a history of Australian censorship Obscenity, Blasphemy and Sedition. He was co-author of The Costello Memoirs. He served in the New South Wales Parliament as Leader of the Opposition and in the Australian Federal Parliament.