The Protest Years: The Official History of ASIO, 1963-1975
Channel: ANU TV
Date: 2016-03-09

The 40th anniversary of the Whitlam dismissal coincides with the publication by Allen & Unwin of The Protest Years, the second volume of the official history of ASIO from 1963-1975. There are some important questions to revisit on that significant date which are addressed in this ground-breaking new book. Written with unfettered access to the official records held by ASIO, John Blaxland seeks to provide some answers to the following questions: Just what role did ASIO play in the days leading up to the dismissal? What can be said about allegations of foreign interference? To what extent was ASIO acting within its charter? The Protest Years provides an important insight into the crisis and the protest years that led to that point through the prism of one of Australia’s most secretive organisations.
 
Dr John Blaxland is a Senior Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University and writes about military history, intelligence, security and Asia-Pacific affairs. He is a former Director of Joint Intelligence Operations at Headquarters Joint Operations Command, the editor of East Timor Intervention and the author of The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard and Strategic Cousins.