
GREAT
MOMENTS IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY
Jonathan King
From
the early Dutch explorers to the gold rushes, Federation to the wars of the last
century and the Victorian bushfires of recent times this magnificently illustrated
volume details sixty-five of the most defining events in Australia's history.
Great Moments in Australian History presents an exciting collection
of stories about the most colourful highlights and heroes of Australia's history.
Pioneering a fresh approach, award-winning author Jonathan King dramatises events
to bring each moment vividly to life.
Dodge Aboriginal spears
as we land with early Dutch explorers; creep by night into an open boat with convict
Mary Bryant as she escapes from Botany Bay; sneak into Matthew Flinders' French
prison cell as he names Australia; break down doors with the redcoats to arrest
Governor Bligh; confront 'Wild White Man' William Buckley as he returns from the
dead after 30 years; fight for democracy at the Eureka Stockade; join Ned Kelly
in his last shoot-out; ride down mountains with the Man from Snowy River; land
with the Anzacs at Gallipoli; gallop across deserts with the Light Horse on history's
last successful cavalry charge; fly the first plane from the UK to Australia;
climb the steps as our first woman enters parliament; join Bradman on the pitch
as he makes history; help soldiers stop Japanese troops advancing down the Kokoda
Track; throw a boomerang with the first Aboriginal elected to parliament; feel
Whitlam's outrage as he is dismissed; watch the angel of the Bali bombing save
lives; and escape the nation's worst bushfires in stories that will take your
breath away.
Filled with graphic images, the book presents
the big picture, from the discoveries of the early explorers to the cut and thrust
of modern-day politics. In laying bare events that shaped the nation, it highlights
vital turning points that marked the end of an era and the start of something
new, showing just how dramatically Australia has changed. Sometimes fact is indeed
stranger than fiction.
ABOUT JONATHAN KING
After
a lifetime writing about and teaching Australian history, award-winning author
Dr Jonathan King is well placed to present Great Moments of Australian History.
In addition to writing 25 historical books and a dozen TV documentaries, he has
spent a quarter century commemorating anniversaries by bringing history to life,
including the mutiny on the Bounty and the arrival of the First Fleet for the
bicentenary. Having also produced a number of books and films on military history
he leads tour groups to Gallipoli and the Western Front.
'Great
Moments in Australian History' is available now (RRP $39.99).