Almost a half-century since his death, Archbishop Daniel Mannix is far from forgotten and continues to be a source of great fascination. Michael Gilchrist’s latest book explains why.

Dr. Mannix remains the most influential, controversial churchman in Australian history. No other church figure was so involved in issues of national, even international, significance over such a long period—or so outspoken and witty in targeting the political correctness of his day. Would that there were more like him today. Apart from focusing on Archbishop Mannix’s on-going spiritual leadership and his major areas of public engagement—the World War I conscription campaigns, Irish nationalism, State Aid, sectarianism, the Great Depression, post-World War II immigration, through to the Labor split of the 1950s and beyond—Michael Gilchrist provides a feast of examples of the Archbishop’s unforgettable wit and insightful comments.