Stop Laughing, This Is Serious!: A Social History Of Australia In Cartoons
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: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Stop Laughing, This Is Serious! is a wickedly entertaining journey through Australian history, told not through dry textbooks or dusty archives, but through the sharp, irreverent lines of the nation's greatest cartoonists. Jonathan King chronicles the social evolution of Australia — from its colonial beginnings to the turbulent events of the twentieth century — using the political cartoon as both mirror and magnifying glass, revealing how ordinary Australians saw themselves, their leaders, and their place in the world. Each carefully selected illustration captures the anxieties, triumphs, and absurdities of its era with a precision that written prose rarely achieves. King argues that the cartoon is one of the most honest and democratic art forms a society can produce, and this rich anthology proves his case with flair. The collection illustrates how satire has long served as Australia's unofficial conscience — puncturing pomposity, challenging authority, and giving voice to the voiceless with a well-placed pen stroke. Readers with an interest in Australian culture, history, or the visual arts will find themselves lingering over every page, wondering just how little — or how much — has truly changed.
Author: Jonathan King
Format: Hardback
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Stop Laughing, This Is Serious! is a wickedly entertaining journey through Australian history, told not through dry textbooks or dusty archives, but through the sharp, irreverent lines of the nation's greatest cartoonists. Jonathan King chronicles the social evolution of Australia — from its colonial beginnings to the turbulent events of the twentieth century — using the political cartoon as both mirror and magnifying glass, revealing how ordinary Australians saw themselves, their leaders, and their place in the world. Each carefully selected illustration captures the anxieties, triumphs, and absurdities of its era with a precision that written prose rarely achieves. King argues that the cartoon is one of the most honest and democratic art forms a society can produce, and this rich anthology proves his case with flair. The collection illustrates how satire has long served as Australia's unofficial conscience — puncturing pomposity, challenging authority, and giving voice to the voiceless with a well-placed pen stroke. Readers with an interest in Australian culture, history, or the visual arts will find themselves lingering over every page, wondering just how little — or how much — has truly changed.