by JohnRickard (Author)
This text is long established as a standard introduction to the development of modern Australian society. It begins with the centuries of Aboriginal habitation before the coming of the Europeans, and takes us through to the present. However, unusually, it is strongly weighted towards the twentieth century. It is arranged chronologically and a broad political narrative emerges, but the book is not a chronicle, still less a laborious detailing of governors and governments; rather, it focuses throughout on the transmission of values, beliefs and customs amongst the diverse mix of peoples who are today's Australians.
For this welcome Second Edition, John Rickard has completely revised his text and added an entirely new chapter on the contemporary scene, which surveys the dramatic cultural shifts in Australian society as it approaches the centenary of Federation in the year 2001. The entire book has been reset and redesigned in a larger, more handsome format, and has numerous new illustrations.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 317
Edition: 2
Publisher: Longman
Published: 12 Dec 1996
ISBN 10: 0582276055
ISBN 13: 9780582276055
'xxx; an extremely well-written book that seeks to make contemporary Australian society comprehensible to outsiders. In this it certainly succeeds, with its many pertinent illustrations complementing the judicious insights that dot the elegant text.'
The Times Higher Education Supplement