a worthwhile introduction to Australian history

There are some very good insights contained in this abridged version, but ultimately it disappointed due to its lack of detail and almost newspaper-like rapid fire treatment of the last 50 years.

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Easy to follow summary of Australian history

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

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My fisrt book on Au history. loved the book.

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.

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Well read and a great listen

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

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strong resource

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

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Outstanding - compulsory reading

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

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What happens when two ancient civilisations collid

This was an outstanding audiobook and a great introduction to Australian history for those that do not know much about it. It is also an essential book, along with The Fatal Shore, for young Australians when they are of school age. My ancestors came to this country in the first fleet in chains and this book supports a lot of the information we have received from them through the generations. Written by acclaimed historian Geoffrey Blainey.

Before I go into the substance of the book itself there is a need to address what Aussies call "the history wars" of the early 2000s.

This was a disgusting shred of our history, the impacts of which continue into today. It was kicked off by a national inquiry into aboriginal children removed from their parents.

It was an outpouring of hatred by the southeast political left of my country, supported by state media and captured institutions. During the process, many good people were slandered unfairly and had their professional reputations destroyed. The conclusions of this movement appealed to the hate-filled and unintellectual forebears of today's "woke".

That said, it draws out the history of colonisation as well as the inevitable clashes between the new settlers and the aboriginal people. In particular, was the final acknowledgement that the convicts of this era were the last authorised slaves of the British Empire. People were treated so badly that a visiting Anglican Priest from England had two of them throw themselves on their knees in front of him begging for execution. Convict John Frost called it "

It also tracks honestly the conflict and slaughter of aboriginal people, in particular throughout the Queensland frontiers. It also goes a long way to explain the vast gulf between the two peoples. In particular, like most Australian historians, Blainey is in awe of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle that had survived for at least 37k years since separating from the Papuans.

Truth has been buried in the pursuit of Australian history, and gems like this are both hard to find and very, very valuable.

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exceptional

concise but thorough. a very fair and balanced history without obvious bias. easy listening. I thoroughly recommend this book to all Australians who want to know how we became the nation we are.

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Should be on every modern history teacher's list

Bower does a great job narrating this short history of modern Australia. Wish it could be on the required reading lists for all Australian school students.

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Good summary wish I got more detail

For a new migrant to Australia while this gives you a great summary of the country’s history, it leaves out some very important events and details that I would have loved to know more about. Like the stolen generations, the industries other than mining and wool that have had an influence. Barely a line or two about the history of the sporting teams which is such a big part of the country’s culture. Nothing mentioned about the famous criminals like Chopper Reid, Milat, the bike gangs and mafia that is so intrinsic to our culture.

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