The Shortest History of Australia by Mark McKenna | Black Inc.
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The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia
The Shortest History of Australia

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Books > Imprint: Black Inc. > History

The Shortest History of Australia

Mark McKenna

The history of Australia has been written before – but not like this.

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

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About the author

Mark McKenna

Mark McKenna is one of Australia’s leading historians, based at the University of Sydney. He is the author of several prize-winning books, including From the Edge: Australia’s Lost Histories, Looking for Blackfellas’ Point and …

More about Mark McKenna



Praise for The Shortest History of Australia

‘Original, eloquent and moving – a revelatory journey into the past we thought we knew’­ —Tom Griffiths
 

 ‘A deeply imaginative, beautifully written, individual and original book’ —Robert Manne
 

'In this remarkable book, Mark McKenna offers a concise yet richly layered portrait of Australia. Thoughtful, reflective and inclusive, The Shortest History of Australia doesn’t flatten the past into a single story, but traces the many threads – First Nations, settler, migrant – that have shaped the nation. With great sensitivity, McKenna also ensures that the country itself – the land, its extremes and its beauty – is a character, shaping the Australian spirit as much as any historical force. He explores both the tensions that remain and the spirit that endures, offering readers a deeply humane and optimistic account of who we are and how we came to be.' —Larissa Behrendt
 

‘Mark McKenna’s The Shortest History of Australia found a new way to trace this continent of ours. With every page, the kaleidoscope shifted and a new way of seeing emerged.’ —Patrick Mullins, Australian Book Review

‘The Shortest History of Australia has impressive breadth. Somehow in its pages not only is a history told but yesteryear’s jingoistic myths are dispelled.’ —The Saturday Paper

‘McKenna’s approach to writing the past, present and future of Australia is deeply considered and precisely crafted.’ —Readings

‘This is a sensitive and scrupulous account that says the cliches about Australian history are failures of imagination.’ —The Age

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Birds-eye view photograph of Uluru

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