The big book of Australian History by Peter Macinnis
2nd edition. National Library of Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780642278722
Australia's history has been in the spotlight with the commemoration
of the centenary of ANZAC Day so it is fitting that the new and
revised edition of this magnificent work be released at this time.
Peter Macinnis is a rare breed of author - not only is he a
meticulous researcher winkling out the most extraordinary and often
unknown material but he also then shapes it into a narrative that
brings the times alive for the reader. I always look forward to
reading and reviewing his work because I know I will learn amazing
things as I do.
Accompanied by stunning and unique images from the collection of the
National Library of Australia, we journey through a timeline that
spans the formulation of the continent as plate tectonics caused the
separation of the land mass known as Pangea to the present where we
are reminded that we are "history makers" and that what we do with
our lives becomes part of this nation's history. Using a
chronological format, we journey through ancient Australia, The
Dreaming, the coming of the Europeans and the founding and forging
of a nation. From the end of World War II when Australia's growth
was rapid through migration to the embracing of multicultural
Australia; from Aboriginal land rights to apologising to the Stolen
Generations; from droughts to flooding rains, Macinnis tells stories
of the unusual, the unknown and the unique that we need to know, and
tells them in a way that allows the reader to dip and delve, seek
and savour, and engages, educates and entertains.
The first edition of The big book of Australian History in
2013 was a Notable Book in the CBCA Book of the Year awards which is
testament to its quality. Regardless of whether this edition has the
coveted sticker, it is a must on the shelves of every school
library, primary or secondary, and would be the most wonderful gift
for any student of history whatever their age.
And don't forget Peter has offered us (for free) his Many
Voices project, over 1.5 million words of "a biased collection
of firsthand, secondhand and bystander accounts of events in
Australia's history" that he is continuing to collect for us. Is
there a better friend of teacher librarians?
Barbara Braxton