From Deserts The Prophets Come: The Creative Spirit In Australia 1788-1972
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of Australian cultural history, From Deserts The Prophets Come: The Creative Spirit In Australia 1788-1972 chronicles the development of an authentic national culture from the earliest days of European settlement through to the early 1970s. Geoffrey Serle argues with scholarly conviction that Australia's creative life — spanning literature, painting, music, and intellectual thought — was a hard-won struggle against colonial deference, geographic isolation, and cultural cringe. With meticulous research and a sweeping yet accessible prose style, Serle illustrates how artists, writers, and thinkers gradually forged a distinctly Australian identity, drawing inspiration from the harsh and ancient landscape rather than being defeated by it. The work presents a compelling case that the nation's cultural achievements, long undervalued, represent a rich and resilient tradition worthy of serious critical attention. Authoritative and passionately argued, it remains an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual and artistic foundations of modern Australia.
Author: Geoffrey Serle
Format: Paperback
Published: 1974, Heinemann Melbourne
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of Australian cultural history, From Deserts The Prophets Come: The Creative Spirit In Australia 1788-1972 chronicles the development of an authentic national culture from the earliest days of European settlement through to the early 1970s. Geoffrey Serle argues with scholarly conviction that Australia's creative life — spanning literature, painting, music, and intellectual thought — was a hard-won struggle against colonial deference, geographic isolation, and cultural cringe. With meticulous research and a sweeping yet accessible prose style, Serle illustrates how artists, writers, and thinkers gradually forged a distinctly Australian identity, drawing inspiration from the harsh and ancient landscape rather than being defeated by it. The work presents a compelling case that the nation's cultural achievements, long undervalued, represent a rich and resilient tradition worthy of serious critical attention. Authoritative and passionately argued, it remains an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual and artistic foundations of modern Australia.