If there are genuine questions about Australian history, there is something to puzzle over. The history ceases to be predictable—and dull.'
From the author of The Shortest History of Europe , acclaimed historian John Hirst, comes this fresh and stimulating approach to understanding Australia's past and present.
Hirst asks and answers questions that get to the heart of Australia's history:
Why did Aborigines not become farmers? How did a penal colony change peacefully to a democracy? Why was Australia so prosperous so early? Why did the Australian colonies federate? What effect did convict origins have on national character? Why was the postwar migration programme a success? Why is Australia not a republic? Engaging and enjoyable, and written for the novice and the expert alike, Australian History in 7 Questions explains how we became the nation we are today.