A Shorter History Of Australia , A - Softcover

Blainey, Geoffre

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1741667712 ISBN 13: 9781741667714

Publisher: Vintage (Australia), 2009

Synopsis

`Part of Blainey's magic is that his words float off the page. Here, too, are the puzzles, oddities and offbeat comparisons of his restless, quirky intelligence, constantly astonished and endlessly engaging.'- John Hirst, the age

After a lifetime of research and debate on Australian and international history, Geoffrey Blainey is well-placed to introduce us to the people who have played a part and to guide us through the events that have created and shaped the Australian identity: the mania for spectator sport; the suspicion of the tall poppy; the rivalries of Catholic and Protestant, Sydney and Melbourne, new and old homelands; the conflicts of war abroad and race at home; the importance of technology; the recognition of our Aboriginal past and native title; the economic booms and busts; the successes and failures of the nation.

For this enlarged edition, Blainey has expanded or rewritten some of the crucial episodes and added new chapters on significant events of recent decades. The final chapter boldly asks: what made Australia's history so distinctive? He shows two decisive factors weaving in and out, again and again, over 50,000 years.

About this title

Review

"Part of Blainey's magic is that his words float off the page. Here, too, are the puzzles, oddities and off-beat comparisons of his restless, quirky intelligence, constantly astonished and endlessly engaging." (The Age)

"The present shape and direction of Australian history writing will now be altered for a long while to come." (Quadrant)

"Geoffrey Blainey offers an enjoyable overview of Australian history. Humphrey Bower's Australian accent is endearing for those who love all things Aussie. His presentation is measured and clear, with longish pauses between words. Blainey occasionally uses vocabulary that may not be familiar to Americans (for example, a "sultana" is a kind of raisin), but that doesn’t present an impediment. Unlike other well-known histories of Australia―including Manning Clark's A SHORT HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA and Robert Hughes's THE FATAL SHORE―Blainey's focuses on recent events. He also spends considerable time on events that followed WWII. As is always the case with the analysis of recent history, bias shows. Blainey seems well to the right of center on many Australian political issues." (AudioFile Magazine)

Review

"Part of Blainey's magic is that his words float off the page. Here, too, are the puzzles, oddities and offbeat comparisons of his restless, quirky intelligence, constantly astonished and endlessly engaging." "Age""

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage (Australia)
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1741667712
• ISBN 13: 9781741667714
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336