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A Shorter History of Australia

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A Shorter History of Australia

By: Geoffrey Blainey
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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About this listen

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 which have created 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 successes and failures of the nation.

For this enlarged edition Blainey has rewritten or expanded on various episodes and themes, making changes to almost every page. He has described significant events and trends of the early 20th century. A final chapter summarises key factors that shaped and still shape this country's history.

©1994 Geoffrey Blainey , 2009. (P)2010 Bolinda Publishing Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Oceania World War Imperialism Imperial Japan United Kingdom Middle Ages Africa Latin America

Critic Reviews

"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)
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A pretty upfront and easy to follow summary of the forces that shaped Australia. highly recommend!

Easy to follow summary of Australian history

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I moved to Au in 2005 and was always eager to find books on Au history.
this was a perfect summary and i enjoyed learning about the highlights of this country's story. recommend it to all migrants like myself.

My fisrt book on Au history. loved the book.

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I enjoyed the audio book and learnt a lot about things that should be better known by all Australians.

Well read and a great listen

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A balanced and considered history of Australia in a concise and easy to digest format

Outstanding - compulsory reading

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Countless omissions on Indiginous history throughout, author could benefit from referencing Dark Emu and The Biggest Estate.
otherwise comprehensive summation

strong resource

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.