The Australian Dream
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: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Yellowed
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What does it mean to be Australian? The Australian Dream, edited by the eminent historian Ian Turner, is a landmark anthology that chronicles the evolution of Australian national identity through a rich tapestry of documents, essays, and cultural artefacts spanning two centuries of settler society. Drawing from political speeches, literary works, journalism, and social commentary, the collection presents a sweeping portrait of a nation perpetually wrestling with its own self-image — from the convict origins and the democratic experiments of the goldfields, to the anxieties of Federation, war, and postwar prosperity. Turner's editorial vision is sharp and purposeful, arguing that the Australian Dream is not a single, settled ideal but a contested, living mythology shaped by class, race, geography, and politics. As one of Australia's foremost Marxist historians, Turner brings both intellectual rigour and genuine passion to his curation, illuminating the tensions between egalitarian ideals and the harsh realities of a society built on exclusion and struggle. The collection stands as an essential document of mid-twentieth-century Australian historiography, reflecting the radical reassessment of national culture that defined the era. For anyone seeking to understand the bones beneath the sunburned skin of the Australian character, this anthology raises a question that still refuses a comfortable answer: did Australians ever truly dream the dream they told themselves they did?
Author: Ian Turner
Format: Paperback
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Yellowed
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
What does it mean to be Australian? The Australian Dream, edited by the eminent historian Ian Turner, is a landmark anthology that chronicles the evolution of Australian national identity through a rich tapestry of documents, essays, and cultural artefacts spanning two centuries of settler society. Drawing from political speeches, literary works, journalism, and social commentary, the collection presents a sweeping portrait of a nation perpetually wrestling with its own self-image — from the convict origins and the democratic experiments of the goldfields, to the anxieties of Federation, war, and postwar prosperity. Turner's editorial vision is sharp and purposeful, arguing that the Australian Dream is not a single, settled ideal but a contested, living mythology shaped by class, race, geography, and politics. As one of Australia's foremost Marxist historians, Turner brings both intellectual rigour and genuine passion to his curation, illuminating the tensions between egalitarian ideals and the harsh realities of a society built on exclusion and struggle. The collection stands as an essential document of mid-twentieth-century Australian historiography, reflecting the radical reassessment of national culture that defined the era. For anyone seeking to understand the bones beneath the sunburned skin of the Australian character, this anthology raises a question that still refuses a comfortable answer: did Australians ever truly dream the dream they told themselves they did?