Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; 1. Beginnings; 2. Newcomers, c. 1600–1792; 3. Coercion, 1793–1821; 4. Emancipation, 1822–1850; 5. In thrall to progress, 1851–1888; 6. National reconstruction, 1889–1913; 7. Sacrifice, 1914–1945; 8. Golden age, 1946–1974; 9. Reinventing Australia, 1975–2008; 10. What next?; Sources of quotations; Guide to further reading; Index.

Promotional Information

The third edition of this book recounts the key factors - social, economic and political - that have shaped modern-day Australia.

About the Author

Stuart Macintyre is the Ernest Scott Professor of History at the University of Melbourne.

Reviews

'At long last here is an accessible, sensible, learned and digestible history of Australia. It is a triumph of Stuart Macintyre's notable scholarship that he has come up with a book that is concise - not brief, not abbreviated - sharp and to the point … this is a tremendously useful tool for locals and outsiders. It should sit on every Australian's bookshelf, next to the dictionary and the atlas.' Nick Richardson, Herald-Sun

'It's a splendid piece of work and it belongs to a noble tradition … It conveys throughout a joy in writing history, in mastering the detail of the past - a joy especially in struggling with the soul of the country.' Alan Atkinson, Sydney Morning Herald

'Macintyre's book is the best short history of Australia since Manning Clark's classic of 1963.' The Times Literary Supplement

'At long last here is an accessible, sensible, learned and digestible history of Australia. It is a triumph of Stuart Macintyre's notable scholarship that he has come up with a book that is concise - not brief, not abbreviated - sharp and to the point ... this is a tremendously useful tool for locals and outsiders. It should sit on every Australian's bookshelf, next to the dictionary and the atlas.' Nick Richardson, Herald-Sun
'It's a splendid piece of work and it belongs to a noble tradition ... It conveys throughout a joy in writing history, in mastering the detail of the past - a joy especially in struggling with the soul of the country.' Alan Atkinson, Sydney Morning Herald
'Macintyre's book is the best short history of Australia since Manning Clark's classic of 1963.' The Times Literary Supplement