Australia's war-time Prime Minister, John Curtin, has a heroic status in Australian political history folklore. He stood up to British Prime Minister Churchill and American President Roosevelt courageously, insisting that Australian troops be brought home to defend their nation against the expected Japanese invasion. However, the praise and adulation that is heaped upon Curtin for creating the American Alliance is not justified. James Prior argues that the credit is rightly owed to Richard Casey, who as Australia's first ambassador to the United States did more to secure American engagement with Australia in Pacific security than Curtin or anyone else.