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{{Short description|1950 novel by Frank Hardy}}
{{For|the book on Cooper racing cars|Power Without Glory (2015 book)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2013}}

{{Infobox book |
| name         = Power Without Glory
| title_orig   = 
| translator   = 
| image        = Power without glory.jpg
| caption      = First edition
| author       = [[Frank Hardy|Frank J. Hardy]]
| cover_artist = 
| country      = Australia
| language     = English
| series       = 
| genre        = Thriller, novel
| publisher    = Realist Printing & Publishing Co
| release_date = 1950
| media_type   = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages        = 669 pp
| isbn         = 0-09-184206-9
| oclc         = 47707257
| preceded_by  = 
| followed_by  =
}}

'''''Power Without Glory''''' is a 1950 [[historical novel]] written by Australian author [[Frank Hardy]], following the life and ambitions of John West, a politician born into a working-class family who rises to prominence in Australian federal politics.

Following the novel's publication, Ellen Wren, the wife of bookmaker and businessman [[John Wren]] sued Hardy for [[libel]], claiming that the characters of John West and his wife Nellie were modelled on the Wrens, and that Nellie's affair in the novel was libellous to Ellen Wren.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Witness 'Would Have Liked To Kill Hardy' |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/23049349 |work=The Argus |location=Melbourne |date=17 January 1951 |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref> Ultimately Hardy was cleared and publication allowed.<ref>[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/wren-john-9198 Griffin, James: Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 12, 1990] accessed 6 June 2020</ref>

== Publication ==
The work was originally self-published, with illustrations by Hardy's friend [[Edward Ambrose Dyson|"Amb" Dyson]], with the subtitle "a novel in three parts by Frank J. Hardy, Ross Franklyn". "Ross Franklyn" was the pseudonym Hardy had always used prior to ''Power Without Glory''. This combination of real name and [[pen name]] was also used in Hardy's 1961 book ''The Hard Way'' which describes the difficulties "Ross Franklyn" had in having the book published, and the problems Frank Hardy faced in answering the criminal libel charge against him arising from the publication.<ref>{{cite web|title=The living are few, Frank tells us, But The Dead Are Many|url=http://www.trojanpress.com.au/assets/oz_34_living_are_few.pdf|publisher=Trojan Press|access-date=2015-01-18}}</ref>

Hardy was a member of the [[Communist Party of Australia]], which features in the novel as the enemy of the protagonist. After the novel's publication, Hardy would run unsuccessfully for office as a member of the Communist Party.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lennon, Troy |title=Power of Frank Hardy's words won glory for working class |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/today-in-history/power-of-frank-hardys-words-won-glory-for-working-class/news-story/7a60b8744225c56a34a4aa76b5e6006f |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=Sydney|date=21 March 2017 |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref>

Hardy wrote in his later work, ''The Hard Way'', that he felt dissatisfied with the final chapters of the novel. In his desire to complete the long work at a manageable length for publication, and with the threats regarding the novel's publication, Hardy felt the final chapters were hurried.

The publication of ''Power Without Glory'' and its success has been credited as being linked to the creation of the [[Australasian Book Society]], which Hardy was key to founding.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McLaren |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Y2rIPmthSAC&dq=%22Australasian+Book+Society%22&pg=PA35 |title=Writing in Hope and Fear: Literature as Politics in Postwar Australia |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=1996 |isbn=9780521567565 |pages=35}}</ref>

== Novel ==
''Power Without Glory'' follows the life of John West, who is born into an impoverished family in the fictitious Melbourne suburb of Carringbush, which is based on the actual suburbs of [[Abbotsford, Victoria|Abbotsford]] and [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]. When the novel opens, in 1893, West is twenty-four years old and already involved in criminal activities including gambling and bookmaking. The novel follows West's life as he rises to be a highly ambitious businessman and corrupt politician, as a powerbroker for the [[Australian Labor Party]].

The novel is partly set during World War I, and the [[Conscription in Australia#World War I|debate]] about [[Conscription in Australia|conscription]] is a major issue in the novel. John West is a fierce patriot who supports conscription, and his sometimes fiery arguments with the [[Irish-Catholic]] Archbishop of Melbourne, who opposes conscription on the grounds that to send men to aid England was contrary to his, and Ireland's, historical enmity with that country.

West's family dramas are many: his brother Arthur spends time in jail for aiding and abetting a crime of rape, West's wife Nellie has an affair with a tradesman and falls pregnant with his child, and his daughter becomes a member of the [[Communist Party of Australia]] in the years after the War.

West's relationship with Communism is a hateful one, and he heavily finances the efforts of the (real life) anti-communist, Roman Catholic [[B. A. Santamaria]]. This crusade damages both his family fortunes and his marriage, and continues until West's death as an old man in 1950.

== Characters==
The novel can be considered a [[Roman à clef]], or a novel in which many of the characters correlate with real-life figures of the time, including [[Premier of Victoria|Victorian Premier]] Sir [[Thomas Bent]] and [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[James Scullin]].

The following list attempts to align ''Power Without Glory'' characters with real historical persons who may have been inspirational to the author. Recognisable features do not necessarily imply any attempt at an exact correlation. Hardy himself conceded or even affirmed some such correlations, but says in ''The Hard Way'' that many such lists were being created and passed around by parties without his involvement, perhaps even without his knowledge.

*ASHTON, Frank – [[Frank Anstey]], [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] politician and social propagandist
*BACON, Snowy – [[Snowy Baker|Reginald Leslie (Snowy) Baker]], fight promoter, sportsman, actor, soldier, and journalist ('versatile')
*BENNETT (The Gentleman Thief) – Hon. W.J. Beckett, M.L.C. for [[Melbourne North Province|Melbourne North]], [[Melbourne East Province|Melbourne East]] & [[Melbourne Province|Melbourne]]<ref>{{cite re-member |num2=1018 |name=William James Beckett (Appointed C.B.E in January 1953.) |access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref>
*BLACKWELL, Maurice – [[Maurice Blackburn]], State Labor MP for [[Electoral district of Essendon|Essendon]], [[Electoral district of Fitzroy (Victoria)|Fitzroy]] & [[Electoral district of Clifton Hill|Clifton Hill]]. Federal Labor M.P. for [[Division of Bourke|Bourke]]
*BLAIRE – [[Thomas Blamey|(Sir) Thomas Blamey]], army general and Victorian Police Commissioner 1925–1936
*BOND, Thomas – [[Thomas Bent|(Sir) Thomas Bent]], 32nd Premier of Victoria 1904–1909
*BRADLEY, Richard – Richard Buckley, notorious gunman and murderer
*BRADY, William – [[Bill Barry (politician)|Bill Barry]], Victorian Labor M.P. for [[Electoral district of Carlton|Carlton]], minister in various [[John Cain (senior)|Cain Governments]]
*CALLINAN, Police Commissioner – [[Thomas O'Callaghan]], Police Commissioner 1902–1913
*Cameron – Campbell, cycling promoter exhibition
*CARR, John – [[John Cain (senior)|John Cain]], leader of [[Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)|Victorian Labor Party]], Premier on three occasions
*CONN (Archbishop) – [[Thomas Carr (archbishop of Melbourne)|Thomas Carr]], Catholic archbishop of Melbourne preceding Daniel Mannix
*CREGAN, J. – [[Jack Cremean]], Federal M.P. for [[Division of Hoddle|Hoddle]]
*CUTTING, Slasher – [[John "Snowy" Cutmore]], gunman and thief
*DARBY, Lou – [[Les Darcy]]
*DAVISON, Alfie – [[Albert Dunstan|(Sir) Albert Dunstan]], conservative Victorian Premier 1935 -1943
*DAVLIN, Dr – Sir Hugh Devine
*DWYER, Godfrey – [[Gilbert Dyett|(Sir) Gilbert Dyett]], long-time President of the [[Returned and Services League of Australia|R.S.L.]]
*GARSIDE, David – [[David Gaunson]], prominent criminal barrister
*GIBBON, Sir S. – [[Samuel Gillott|(Sir) Samuel Gillott]], [[Chief Secretary of Victoria|Chief Secretary]] in the Bent Cabinet
*HORAN, Ned – [[Edmond Hogan|Ned Hogan]], twice Labor Premier of Victoria
*JOGGINS, Rev – Reverend G. Judkins,prominent anti-vice crusader, preacher
*JOLLY, Bob – [[Robert Solly|Bob Solly]], Labor M.P. for [[Electoral district of Carlton|Carlton]] in Victorian Parliament for many years
*KELLEHER, Paddy – [[Pat J. Kennelly]], M.L.C. for [[Melbourne West Province|Melbourne West]]; Federal Secretary, A.L.P.
*KIELY, Michael – [[Standish Michael Keon]], Victorian Member for [[Electoral district of Richmond (Victoria)|Richmond]], later Federal M.P. for Yarra
*LAMB, Richard – Dick Lean, manager of [[Festival Hall (Melbourne)|Melbourne Stadium]]
*LAMBERT, Percy – Percy Laidler, theatrical supplier of 201 Bourke St., prominent socialist
*LAMMENCE, Frank – Frank Laurence
*LANE – [[Jack Lang (Australian politician)|Jack Lang]], [[New South Wales|NSW]] Labor leader and Premier
*LASSITER Family – Loughnan family
*LEVY Ben – Ben Nathan, founder of Maples Store
*McCORKELL – [[William McCormack]], Labor Premier of [[Queensland]]
*MALONE, Daniel – [[Daniel Mannix|(Dr.) Daniel Mannix]], Catholic archbishop of Melbourne
*MANSON, "Plugger" Pete – [[Bill Martin (cyclist)|"Plugger" Bill Martin]], cyclist
*MORTON, Fim – Jim Morley, Communist organiser, journalist of Morning Post
*MURKETT, Kenneth – [[Keith Murdoch|(Sir) Keith Murdoch]], journalist & newspaper proprietor
*O'FLAHERTY, Dave – Detective O'Donnell, Chief of Gaming Squad
*PARELLI – Pellegrini
*PARKER, Clive – Clyde Palmer, journalist on ''[[The Truth (Melbourne newspaper)|The Truth]]'' newspaper
*PIGGY – Piggy Ryan alias Williamson, gunman and standover man
*REAL, T.J. – [[T. J. Ryan]], Premier of Queensland
*REDMOND, Ron – Ron Richards, Aboriginal boxer
*RENFREY, Sugar – Robert "Sugar" Roberts, Mayor of [[City of Collingwood|Collingwood]]
*ROBINSON, Barney – Barney Reynolds
*SANDOW – [[Ad Santel]], champion wrestler
*SCATT, Bob – another name for Bob Solly
*SOLOMON, Sol – Sol. Green, big bookmaker
*SQUEERS, Bill – [[Bill Squires (boxer)|Bill Squires]], boxer
*SUMMER, James – [[James H. Scullin]], Labor M.P., Prime Minister 1929–32
*SWINTON – [[George Swinburne|(Sir) George Swinburne]], engineer, politician and philanthropist
*TANNER, Snoopy – [[Squizzy Taylor]], gunman and thief
*THURGOOD – [[E. G. Theodore|"Red Ted" Theodore]], Labor Premier of Queensland 1919–1925, federal Treasurer, mining and business magnate
*TINN, Ted – Ted Thye, bogus champion wrestler
*TRUMBLEWOOD, Thomas – [[Tom Tunnecliffe]], Labor M.P. for [[Electoral district of Collingwood|Collingwood]], Speaker 1937–40
*WATTY, Jim – Jack Welsh, Secretary, Milk Distribution Association
*WEST family – [[John Wren|Wren family]]
*WILLIAMS, Detective – [[Detective Harry Herbert Wilson]]
*WODMAN, Paddy – Paddy Boardman

=== Locations ===
*APSOM – Epsom Racecourse, [[Mordialloc, Victoria|Mordialloc]]
*BAGVILLE STREET – Sackville Street, [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]
*[[Carringbush|CARRINGBUSH]] – [[Collingwood, Victoria|Collingwood]]
*CHIRRABOO – [[Chillagoe, Queensland]]
*JACKSON STREET – Johnston Street, [[Fitzroy, Victoria|Fitzroy]] and Collingwood
*RALSTONE – [[Richmond, Victoria|Richmond]] (though note there has been a Ralston St in [[South Yarra]] – across the river from Richmond – since 1857 [http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/history/1856-prahran-streets.pdf])
*RICHTON – [[Richmond Racecourse]]
*ROYAL OAK HOTEL – Royal Mail Hotel
*SILVER STREET – Gold Street, Collingwood

== Court case ==
Hardy was tried for [[criminal libel]] in 1951 on the basis of the depiction in the novel of West's wife having an affair but he was acquitted by jury, after putting a number of arguments and cross-examining witnesses. It was the last prosecution for criminal (as opposed to civil) libel in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]].

The case attracted enormous publicity, coinciding as it did with the [[1951 Australian referendum|anti-Communist referendum]] and served mainly to give the novel and any negative portrayal of Wren greater prominence. Hardy readily conceded that he had published the work, and so the defense was built on the remaining two points, of whether the informant Ellen Wren was in fact identical with the character Nellie West, and if so, whether in fact the publication was defamatory.

Witnesses had testified that they recognized Ellen in the character of Nellie, and that she had been defamed. Hardy's successful defense, as described in ''The Hard Way'', argued that while the character of John West had character traits of John Wren, he was also an amalgam of ideas, with many events in the story not correlating to Wren's life. Hardy argued that if John Wren was not solely based on John West, then the character's wife could not solely be based on Ellen Wren. Hardy was acquitted of all charges, and the novel was published to a wider audience than its initial publication.

Historians have debated whether Ellen Wren did actually have an affair and conceive an illegitimate son, as in the novel. In ''The Hard Way'', Hardy denied ever having spoken to any member of the Wren family during his extensive research for the book, claiming the affair was entirely fictional. However, in 2005, Monash University academic Jenny Hocking claimed to have discovered archival material supporting the argument that Ellen Wren did indeed have an affair with a tradesperson, and that Hardy may have had knowledge of the affair.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Steger|first1=Jason|title=Mrs Wren and the brickie: the veil lifted|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/mrs-wren-and-the-brickie-the-veil-lifted/2005/11/11/1131578237905.html/|access-date=2015-01-18|work=The Age|date=2005-11-12}}</ref>

==TV series adaptation==
In 1976, the novel was made into a 26-episode [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC-TV]] series starring [[Martin Vaughan]] as West.<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q130302118|id=tt0129707}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Hard Way, Fontana edition 1976|author=Frank Hardy|publisher=Fontana|date=1961}}</ref> While Nellie's affair with the brickie is depicted, the affair does not produce a child. The series won numerous [[Logie Award|Logie]], [[Penguin Award|Penguin]] and Sammy Awards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Power Without Glory|url=http://www.memorabletv.com/tv/power-without-glory-abc-1976-with-martin-vaughan-and-rowena-wallace/|publisher=Memorable TV|access-date=2015-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118143025/http://www.memorabletv.com/tv/power-without-glory-abc-1976-with-martin-vaughan-and-rowena-wallace/|archive-date=18 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Logie Awards 1974 -177|url=http://www.australiantelevision.net/awards/logie1974_77.html|publisher=australiantelevision.net|access-date=2015-01-18}}</ref>

===Cast===
* [[Martin Vaughan]] as John West
* [[Wendy Hughes]] as Mary West
* [[Terence Donovan (actor)|Terence Donovan]] as Frank Lammence
* [[Rosalind Speirs]] as Nellie Moran / Nellie West
* [[George Mallaby (actor)|George Mallaby]] as Barney Robinson
* [[Patsy King]] as Vera Maguire
* [[Leila Hayes]] as Florrie Robinson
* [[Gus Mercurio]] as Sparring Partner / Bill Timms
* [[Graham Kennedy]] as Clive Parker 
* [[Frank Wilson (Australian actor)|Frank Wilson]] as Tom Trumbleward
* [[Tony Bonner]] as Brendan West
* [[Vivean Gray]] as Jane
* [[Brian Blain]] as Peter Wells
* [[Ken Wayne]] as Ted Thurgood 
* [[Reg Gorman]] as Priest
* [[Norman Kaye]] as Ned Horan / Prosecuting Sergeant 
* [[Tristan Rogers]]
* [[Fay Kelton]]

==Other books==
Hardy wrote several books examining his experiences arising from writing ''Power Without Glory,'' including ''The Hard Way: The Story Behind Power without Glory'' (1961), ''Who Shot George Kirkland?: A Novel About the Nature of Truth'' (1981), and ''But the Dead are Many: A Novel in Fugue Form'' (1975). In these a central theme is the ambiguity between truth and fiction.

== References ==
<references />
{{portal|Australia}}

==External links==
*{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |last1=Griffin|first1=James|title=Wren, John (1871–1953)|id2=wren-john-9198|access-date=2015-01-18}}
*{{cite book|last1=Hocking|first1=Jenny|title=Frank Hardy : politics, literature, life|date=2005|publisher=Lothian|location=Melbourne|isbn=9780734408365}}
*{{cite book | last = Macintyre| first = Stewart | year = 1998 | title = The Reds: The Communist Party of Australia from Origins to Illegality | publisher = Allen & Unwin|location=St. Leonards, N.S.W|isbn=1864485809|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=2JG01HuwZsYC&q=Movement+Against+War+and+Fascism&pg=PA269}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTOgeJs8yI4 Hollywood Ten, Melbourne One], 1985, [http://vca.unimelb.edu.au/ftvarchive Daryl Dellora], [http://vca.unimelb.edu.au/ftv50 CA Film and TV Digital Archive Project], Published on [[YouTube]] 31 May 2016.

{{Oscar Whitbread}}
{{Logie Award for Most Popular Drama Series on Australian Television}}

[[Category:Political history of Australia]]
[[Category:1950 Australian novels]]
[[Category:1970s Australian television miniseries]]
[[Category:1976 Australian television series debuts]]
[[Category:1976 Australian television series endings]]
[[Category:Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Australian thriller novels]]
[[Category:Roman à clef novels]]
[[Category:Organised crime in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Novels set in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Self-published books]]