In this memoir 'A Maverick among Marxists', accounts of phases of Brislan's life are mixed with reflections on issues at the time of writing. Topics include Catholic education, the Irish problem, the world wars, conscription, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Liberal Government of 1972, the Great Depression, industrial disputes (Queensland shearers c. 1930 and Balmain ironworkers c. 1943), the Australian union movement, the arbitration system, and the Communist Party.