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The downside of this method of narration is that it is easy to lose objectivity, something I'm afraid Knightley is guilty of in at least a few places. His political bias is very much in evidence throughout this book, most glaringly in his depiction of the various Prime Ministers and the battles between the working man and the rich landholders/business executives. At the same time, his depiction of the items that have gone into the making of the essential Australian character is well told, forming a mosaic of events and people that put this character into clear focus. Having lived in Australia myself (a very long time ago, but I don't think there has been any basic change in this item since), I can testify that the traits of wishing everyone to 'have a fair go' and mateship really do seem to be defining items of that character.
One item that would definitely have improved this book would have been the inclusion of some maps of the country. Unless one is intimately aware of the geography of this continent-country, the references to literally hundreds of place names and towns can be daunting without some way to place them spatially. I would have also liked to see a little greater treatment of the early period of its settlement, as the emphasis of this book is very much the twentieth century, and even more so on the last half of that century. Often the narration is told from the strictly political point of view, with little reference to the great resource finds and their development that had quite an influence on how Australia developed.
On the other hand, Knightley does a very good job of portraying and documenting the treatment that the Aborigines have been subjected to, from the earliest settlements to the latest landmark court decisions dealing with their land rights. More than any other item, this one area shows just how much Australia has changed from a blatantly racist and xenophobic nation to one that has at least begun to recognize its past failings and find its place in a truly multi-cultural world.
It covers all the topics you'd expect to find in a history of the young country continent and it's clear the author has done his research. Controversial issues and events are explained from both sides of the argument and the author doesn't force an opinion of his own, but he does hint at which explanation he finds most plausible. He also shares stories from his life in Oz and does a fine job of describing his life as a kid during the great depression.
A week before starting this book I'd read "A Concise History of Australia" by Stuart Macintyre, an academic's view of Oz history. With that fresh in my mind I thought there wouldn't be much extra that Phillip Knightley could add. Boy was I wrong. The writing styles are so different that it's as if Macintyre is painting in black and white (not even greyscale), while Knightley creates his own colours. Knightley brings the stories and history to life and keeps your attention. It'd take a man with a heart of stone not to be affected by his description of the policy of removal of Aboriginal children from their parents in the middle part of the 1900s. Others explain it in terms of policy, Knightley brings life to it.
I could go on, but shouldn't.
Read this book. You will not be disappointed.
Recommended reading :)
English journalists, when visiting Australia for the first time, can't help but exaggerate their experiences, says Phillip Knightley in his latest work. Read more
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