When the Honourable Tim Fischer, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Minister for Trade and Leader of the National Party, rose in the House of Representatives on 30 June 1999 to announce his resignation, the response was an overwhelming expression of genuine goodwill and affection - from both sides of the House and the general public. Here was a politician at the peak of his career, giving it all up for his family.This is the story of Tim Fischer's journey, from a country town in far southwest NSW to the centre of political power. It tells of an individual quietly determined to push past barriers and who succeeded where very few expected him to; and of someone prepared to be different and to make that difference part of a distinctive personal style, with the ever-present Akubra, a long-term commitment to Asia, a love of trains and his 'unusual' use of English. Here, too, is the very personal story of a man who came to acknowledge the conflict between the demands of a high-profile public life and the needs of family life - and made the toughest decision of his career. Read Less