Australians: A Short History

Australians

by Thomas Keneally

Thomas Keneally's widely acclaimed three volume history of the Australian people from origins to Vietnam gave us a robust, vibrant and page-turning narrative that brought to life the vast range of characters who have formed the Australian national story. Here these volumes are brought together for a story that encompasses original Australians and European occupation of their land, the convict era, pastoralists, bushrangers and gold seekers, working men, pioneering women, the rifts wrought by World War I, the rise of hard-nosed radicals from the Left and the Right and the social upheavals of the Great Crash and World War II. Then the Menzies era, the nation changing period of post-war migration and Australia's engagement with Asia. This is a truly masterly history of Australia and its people by an author of outstanding literary skill whose own humanity permeates every page.

Genres: History, Australia, Nonfiction

992 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2017

About the author

Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.

Life and Career:

Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.

Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.

Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).

In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.

He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.

Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).

In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.

Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.

Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book. Well written with very in-depth research, it is a comprehensive and colourful history of this country - warts and all. Every Australian should read this book.

[Julia Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Keneally is one of Australia’s best respected and loved history and fiction writers. Originally from Ireland, he brings an outsiders perspective that is unflinching but sensitive and nuanced to Australia’s Indigenous and multicultural composition. The treatment of colonial history, the White Australia Policy and other traditionally contentious areas in Australian public life are well dealt with and fair. Many pages were devoted to Australian participation in WW1 & 2, somewhat at the expense of more depth around the position and changing status of women in Australia. This book is a condensed version of Keneally’s longer series (Vol 1-3: Colonial to Flapper to Vietnam) but I think despite the hard stop in the early 70s, more of Australia’s transition to a deeply multicultural society could have been covered, particularly more on the Snowy River Scheme (although quite a bit of detail was provided here), post 1945 diaspora of Greeks, Italians, Scandinavians and Jews. I also felt he missed a bit of northern Australia’s history covering the Torres Strait Islanders as I don’t often feel they’re included in histories of Australia. I also felt disability amongst the population, such as widespread hearing loss amongst returned servicemen and the impact of this on the shape and delivery of federal and state health services… however, Keneally May easily add a 4th volume from Vietnam to COVID, which would be truly fascinating as I’d love to know how he perceives more recent times and what his evaluation is.

[Matthew T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amusingly subtitled "short history" is in fact unbelievably comprehensive for a work of popular history. Every explorer's landing on every bay or cove is chronicled in exhaustive detail. Ends with a screeching halt with Prime Minister Holt's disappearance in December 1967 -- would love an update in which Keneally considers Australia's social revolutions of the late 60s and 70s.

[Robert Somerville · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if interested in the history of the colonisation of Australia.