{"product_id":"9781921866548","title":"Looking for Australia","description":"What are the qualities at the heart of Australian culture? How did they arise? What distinguishes us from other nations beyond a fondness for calling each other ‘mate’? And what do such national quirks reveal about our society, our past and our attitudes towards it? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eLooking for Australia\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating collection of essays by historian John Hirst. Together they form a multi-faceted portrait of Australia as a distinctive nation, with its own political culture, character and style, and particular ways of seeing itself. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Among other subjects, Hirst considers the effects of convict origins on national character, what drove the bushrangers to their daring deeds, and why Australia has compulsory voting. He examines whether Aborigines played a part in the origins of Australian Rules football, and asks whether Curtin was indeed our greatest prime minister. He discusses how best to tell Australia’s history, and, after reflecting on our past as a British dependency, makes a stirring case for a future, fully independent republic. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “He brings a critical, discerning eye to all aspects of Australian history...incisive and compelling” - the \u003ci\u003eCourier Mail\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A powerful controversialist … a brilliant historian”—\u003ci\u003eAustralian Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “This is a brilliant book.” - the \u003ci\u003eMercury\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Hirst’s genius and sincerity shine through, and his easy prose combined with his unorthodox views make for compelling reading.” – \u003ci\u003eCanberra Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “highly recommended” - \u003ci\u003eBookseller+Publisher\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “exceptionally subtle and meticulous” -\u003ci\u003e Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e John Hirst was a member of the History Department at La Trobe University from 1968 to 2007. He has written many books on Australian history, including \u003ci\u003eConvict Society and Its Enemies, The Strange Birth of Colonial Democracy, The Sentimental Nation, Sense and Nonsense in Australian History\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Shortest History of Europe.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Schwartz Publishing Pty. Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47164782018800,"sku":"9781921866548","price":28.17,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781921866548_p0.jpg?v=1763632568","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781921866548","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}