John Hirst

<h3><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>A historian like no other John Hirst captured what is distinctive about Australia</span></h3><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>John Hirst was one of Australia's most original and substantial historians. He changed views of many aspects of the nation's history including the early days of the British colony the advent of democracy and the forging of Federation. He had a sociological imagination of great power and the historian's gift of synthesising vast amounts of material and seeing new patterns and meanings.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>This volume selects the cream of Hirst's historical essays as well as key excerpts from his books. It contains three overviews of his work by Frank Bongiorno Robert Manne and Alex McDermott. It shows how his writing allows us to understand Australia's past present and future in fresh ways.</span></p>