When a timid Labor caucus finally moved to topple Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard was ready. This was a politician at the top of her form: diligent, hardworking and talented. Here, too, was a woman who had a keenly developed understanding of power - what it is, how to acquire it and how to wield it. In this insightful, hard hitting and robust portrait of Australia's most powerful woman, Canberra insider Christine Wallace reveals the real Julia Gillard. She introduces a brilliant and ambitious operator with genuine personal warmth, charm and charisma. And just as convincingly, she uncovers the contradictions, tensions and frailties of Gillard's personality. It may not have always been pretty. Sometimes it hasn't looked principled. Occasionally the company she has kept has been questionable, but there is no denying Julia Gillard's achievements. Yet the question remains, as tough and effective as she seems, is Julia Gillard really a politician for the times?