James Curran is Professor of Modern History at the University of Sydney, where he specialises in Australian and American political and foreign relations history. A former analyst with the Office of National Assessments, he was also a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University in Washington DC and later the Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. James has authored a number of books, including The Power of Speech: Australian prime ministers defining the national image, Curtin’s Empire, The Unknown Nation: Australia after empire (with Stuart Ward), Unholy Fury: Whitlam and Nixon at war, Fighting with America: Why saying no to the US wouldn’t rupture the alliance and, most recently, Campese: The last of the dream sellers. His poetry has been published in Meanjin and Quadrant, and his rugby writing in France’s twice-weekly Midi-Olympique. He writes a fortnightly column on foreign affairs for the Australian Financial Review.