In The Shortest History of Australia, Mark McKenna offers a compelling new version of our national story. This is a modern Australia permeated by First Nations history; a multicultural society with an island mindset; a continent of epic beauty and extreme natural events; a country obsessed by war abroad but blind to its founding war at home; and a thriving nation-state still to realise its political independence.
McKenna's wise and humane history reveals the surprising in the familiar, and reframes the past so we can see the present more clearly.
'Remarkable ... a deeply humane account of who we are and how we came to be' —Larissa Behrendt
'A deeply imaginative, beautifully written and individual book' ––Robert Manne
'Original, eloquent and moving – a revelatory journey into the past we thought we knew' ––Tom Griffiths
Those quotes are all from the publisher's blurb. Defending Country has read the book and found it good, being impressed particularly by its breaking free from the chronological straitjacket. We'll post links to reviews.
Meanwhile: Maria Nugent review on Australian Book Review (paywall); a long session with the author and Philip Clark on ABC Nightlife; long launch at the National Library of Australia (with author and Frank Bongiorno); author on ABC Saturday Extra.
The book is the latest in Black Inc.'s 'shortest' series, which now runs to more than twenty titles. Mark McKenna is one of Defending Country's distinguished Supporters - as are Larissa Behrendt and Tom Griffiths who provided puffs for the book (see above).
Picture credit: book cover detail
