{"product_id":"2026200015711-secondhand-australia-a-short-history","title":"Australia: A Short History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the ancient dreamtime of its First Nations peoples to the sunlit harbours of a modern nation, Australia: A Short History presents a sweeping yet admirably concise chronicle of an entire continent's transformation. Russel Ward — one of Australia's most celebrated and authoritative historians — guides the reader through the full arc of Australian history: from Aboriginal civilisation and European contact, through the turbulent convict era, the gold rushes, federation, and on into the complexities of twentieth-century nationhood. Lucid and accessible in its prose, the narrative never sacrifices intellectual rigour for brevity, making it an ideal gateway for both the newcomer and the seasoned student of Australian affairs.\n\nWard, best known for his landmark thesis on the Australian Legend — the distinctive national character forged in the bush and the frontier — brings that same penetrating cultural insight to this compact survey, arguing that geography, labour history, and colonial circumstance shaped a people unlike any other in the British world. His style is direct, warm, and occasionally wry, reflecting the very larrikin spirit he so famously analysed. Whether you are seeking a reliable historical primer or a thoughtful reinterpretation of a nation's identity, this volume leaves you wondering how so vast a story could be told so elegantly — and what Ward might have said had he been given more pages.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203257835739,"sku":"2026200015711-SECONDHAND","price":10.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/f933f728-478c-4942-852d-fd3e6b585908.png?v=1788146616","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200015711-secondhand-australia-a-short-history","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}