For half a century, the Murdoch media empire and its polarising patriarch have swept across the globe, shaking up markets and democracies in their wake. But how did it all start?
In September 1953, 22-year-old Rupert Murdoch landed in Adelaide, South Australia. Fresh from Oxford with a radical reputation, the young and brash son of Sir Keith Murdoch had arrived to fulfill his father’s dying wish: for Rupert to live a ‘useful altruistic and full life’ in the media.
For decades, Sir Keith had been a giant of the Australian press, but his final years were spent bitterly fending off rivals and would-be successors. When the dust settled on his father’s estate, Rupert was left with the Adelaide-based News Ltd and its afternoon paper The News — a minor player in a small, parochial city.
But even this inheritance was soon under siege, as the left-wing ‘Boy Publisher’ stared down his father’s old colleagues at the city’s paper of record, The Advertiser, and a conservative establishment kept in power by a decades-old gerrymander.
Led by Rupert’s friend, ally, and editor-in-chief Rohan Rivett, the fledgling Murdoch press began a seven-year campaign of circulation wars, expansion, and courtroom battles that divided the city and would lay the foundations for a global empire — if Rupert and Rohan didn’t end up in custody first.
Drawing on unpublished archival material and new reportage, Young Rupert pieces together a paper trail of succession, sedition, and power — and a fascinating time capsule of Australian media on the cusp of an extraordinary ascension.
‘The breadth and depth of Marsh’s research, his eye for detail and his truly exceptional storytelling brings what may have been a dry history into vivid relief.’
Kurt Johnson, The Sydney Morning Herald
‘Ruthless, ambitious, a purveyor of intrigue and scandal for whom loyalty is just a pit stop on the way to a business deal, this is the young Rupert as you’ve never seen him before. A riveting, rollicking tale.’
Jenny Hocking, author of The Palace Letters
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‘From schoolboy socialist to boy publisher to mogul on the make: Young Rupert offers a revelatory glimpse of Murdoch becoming Murdoch.’
Jeff Sparrow, author of Crimes Against Nature
‘Young Rupert is a vivid, revelatory portrait of a young man in a hurry. Deeply researched and sharply written, Marsh summons a vanished era to life and chronicles the intricate manoeuvres and shifting character of a man whose whims and grudges have dominated, for better and worse, the media landscape for seventy years. This is an engrossing and insightful study of raw power, shameless politics, and the powers of the press.’
Patrick Mullins, author of Tiberius with a Telephone
‘A fascinating account of the early days of one of the most notoriously influential men Australia has produced. Marsh skilfully brings forgotten episodes of this country’s history to life, and reminds us just how important, cutthroat, and thrilling the news business can be.’
Sean Kelly, author of The Game
‘Young Rupert is a scrupulously well-researched history that examines the power of the press in the 20th century and its influence on politics. Rupert Murdoch remains largely elusive, yet new research shows glimpses of a man under pressure and unable to enjoy his success. Readers interested in Australian politics and publishing will find much to satisfy here.’
Chris Saliba, Books+Publishing
‘Adelaide journalist Walter Marsh’s gripping new account of Rupert Murdoch’s origin story is more than a biography of the mogul — it uncovers media and political dynamics that remain powerful … Meticulously researched … both densely detailed and a rollicking read … it combines detailed history, including fascinating side journeys — into Murdoch’s personal reportage on outback Aboriginal communities (eye-opening in many ways), a firebrand activist’s tragic-heroic trajectory, a literal fist-fight between Packer and Murdoch interests to gain control of a Sydney press — with the narrative drive of a thriller … This is a distinguished work — essential for anyone who wants a greater understanding of Murdoch, his empire, and the contemporary history of South Australia.’
David Washington, In Review
‘[A] perceptive account of the first 30 years of media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s life … Thoroughly reported and novelistic in detail … this provides keen insight into the business magnate’s formative years.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Journalist Marsh presents meticulous reporting on the tangled fortunes of the Murdoch news business … An authoritative … history of the early Murdoch media empire.’
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