As a former Australian ambassador and crisis manager, I’ve worked at the coalface of international emergencies. The Consul draws on those experiences and on my deep respect for those who show extraordinary moral and emotional courage under pressure. I’ve known several of the authors on this list personally and followed their stories closely. These books, whether memoir or biography, all speak powerfully to the question of how individuals keep faith with themselves—and with others—in the hardest of circumstances.
I know Peter well, and I wrote about his case in my book. That’s part of my reason for recommending it—but the greater reason is Peter’s own calm, lucid account of the ordeal he endured, and his sobering analysis of the growing global challenges to the freedom of the press.
This is an updated version of his original book, First Casualty, released recently to coincide with the film based on his story. His wrongful imprisonment in Egypt might have crushed a lesser person, but he found strength in principle. I was struck by the honesty and humility of his storytelling—it’s not about rage or grievance, but about standing up for the importance of truth, even when the cost is personal.
In a world where the first casualty of war is truth, journalists are increasingly at risk of becoming part of the battlefield. Peter Greste's career as a foreign correspondent has taken him to some of the most serious conflicts, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Reporting from the frontline in some of the world's most dangerous countries was part of his job. But when he was charged with threatening national security and incarcerated in an Egyptian prison in 2014, he found himself in the middle of a fight – not just for his own release, but for press freedom around the…
While I’ve never met Malala, I’ve long admired her, like many others. I have worked with the Global Partnership for Education across the Indo-Pacific for the last few years and understand the life-changing impact that access to education can have, especially for girls. Malala’s voice in this book is calm, brave, and utterly persuasive.
Her story is extraordinary not only because she survived an attempt to silence her, but because she chose to speak louder afterward—not in anger, but with purpose. She reminds us that courage is not just about resistance in the moment, but a sustained commitment to hope and change.
In 2009 Malala Yousafzai began writing a blog on BBC Urdu about life in the Swat Valley as the Taliban gained control, at times banning girls from attending school. When her identity was discovered, Malala began to appear in both Pakistani and international media, advocating the freedom to pursue education for all. In October 2012, gunmen boarded Malala's school bus and shot her in the face, a bullet passing through her head and into her shoulder. Remarkably, Malala survived the shooting.
At a very young age, Malala Yousafzai has become a worldwide symbol of courage and hope. Her shooting has…
Sean is another person whose case I mentioned in my book. I’ve had the privilege of conducting an interview with him for a writers’ festival here in Australia. His story—from economic adviser in Myanmar to political prisoner—is told with warmth, humour and surprising optimism.
What impressed me most about Sean was his refusal to be embittered. He found light in the darkest moments, and he shows us how decency, intellect, and humanity can be acts of quiet defiance. This is not just a memoir of captivity—it’s a portrait of someone who kept hold of his best self.
For 650 days Sean Turnell was held in Myanmar's terrifying Insein Prison on the trumped-up charge of being a spy. In An Unlikely Prisoner he recounts how an impossibly cheerful professor of economics, whose idea of an uncomfortable confrontation was having to tell a student that their essay was ‘not really that good', ended up in one of the most notorious prisons in South-East Asia. And how he not only survived his lengthy incarceration, but left with his sense of humour intact, his spirit unbroken and love in his heart.
Reading this book after Navalny’s death was deeply affecting. It is, above all, a statement of faith—not in any ideology, but in the possibility of a better Russia. What stayed with me most was the blend of wit, clarity, and sheer nerve.
Navalny knew the price he might pay for returning to Moscow, but he chose it anyway. His courage was purposeful, his optimism deliberate. This book is both a personal testament and a political act, and its resonance only grows with time.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORKER, THE ATLANTIC, NPR • LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD • The powerful and moving memoir of a fearless political opposition leader who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.
"Patriot is by turns funny, fiery, reflective and tragic, laced with Navalny’s trademark wry humor and idealism....a gutting personal account from a husband and father facing the reality that he will never be with his family again."—The New York Times
"Honest"—The Washington Post • "Shocking"—The Atlantic • "Uplifting." —Vanity Fair
I came to know Kylie after her release, and I mention her case in my book. What she endured—over 800 days in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison—is almost unimaginable. But what shines through this account is her fierce inner life. Kylie writes with unflinching honesty about fear, betrayal, and resilience.
I admire the way she clung to her intellectual strength and personal integrity in the face of a brutal, dehumanising system. Her story is more than survival—it’s a fight to remain whole.
'The sky above our heads was uncaged and unlike us, free.'
The Uncaged Sky is Kylie Moore-Gilbert's remarkable story of courage and resilience, and a powerful meditation on hope, solidarity and what it means to be free.
On 12 September 2018 British-Australian academic Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert was arrested at Tehran Airport by Iran's feared Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Convicted of espionage in a shadowy trial presided over by Iran's most notorious judge, she was given a 10 year sentence and ultimately spent 804 days incarcerated in Tehran's Evin and Qarchak prisons.
Held in a filthy solitary confinement cell for months, and…
This book offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Australia’s consular service and the human stories that lie at the heart of international crises. Drawing on my career as a senior diplomat and crisis manager, I recount episodes ranging from terrorist attacks to natural disasters and arbitrary detention—moments when my compatriots faced grave danger far from home.
These are not just tales of policy and negotiation—they are about people: those caught up in frightening events, and the officials doing their utmost to bring them safely back. This book is a tribute to resilience and quiet heroism, and an exploration of what it means to carry responsibility—and hope—across borders.
