In 1976 Sir Robert Menzies bequeathed his library and archive of approximately 4000 items to the University of Melbourne. The collection is a unique historical and cultural artefact, showcasing the breadth of Menzies’s intellectual influences and acting as a sociological time capsule of 20th century Australia. To draw attention to the collection’s worth, each week we showcase one book and briefly examine what it tells us about Menzies and the society in which he lived.