How to Rule Your Own Country: The weird and wonderful world of micronations

by Harry Hobbs, George Williams

Many people think they can do a better job running a country than politicians – but few actually give it a go. What happens when political disagreement pushes to the point of no return? When a person has a dream of what their ideal country would be, and then tries to create it? A place where there is no monarchy, or no taxes, or no government regulation …
There are around 130 of these countries – better known as micronations – across the globe. One third of them are in Australia. Harry Hobbs and George Williams take us into some of the most prominent and fascinating micronations around the world, including the Principality of Hutt River, the Principality of Sealand, the Republic of Minerva, the Principality of New Utopia and more.
How to Rule Your Own Country is a lively account of the people who decide that ‘enough is enough’ and create their own nation.
‘A thoughtful and entertaining insight into micronations.’ — Peter FitzSimons
‘Australia is a micronations mecca. Micronations emerge for reasons ranging from the silly to the serious. While they often seem frivolous, this book makes us think seriously about just what the nature of the state may be.’ — Laura Tingle
‘When it comes to micronations, I have for many years made a point of reading nothing that I haven’t written myself. In the case of this book, I made a rare exception to that rule, and I’m glad I did. Harry Hobbs and George Williams have written a fascinating insight into micronations around the world. You should read it too.’ — Georgivs II, Imperator et Primvs Inter Pares, Empire of Atlantium

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Harry is a Lecturer in the UTS Faculty of Law. Harry teaches and researches in the fields of public law, the rights of Indigenous peoples, and international law, with a particular focus on Indigenous-State treaty making.

Harry has published over 30 academic papers in leading international and domestic journals. His scholarship has appeared in the International Journal of Constitutional Law, the Sydney Law Review, the University of Melbourne Law Review, the University of Toronto Law Journal, the Leiden Journal of International Law, and the Chicago Journal of International Law, among others. He is the author of Treaty (Federation Press, 2nd ed, 2020) (with George Williams), and Indigenous Aspirations and Structural Reform in Australia (Hart, forthcoming 2021).

Prior to joining UTS, Harry worked in the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Human Rights, the ACT Human Rights Commission, and as the Legal Research Officer at the High Court of Australia. He has a PhD from the University of New South Wales, a LLM (International Legal Studies) from New York University where he was awarded the Jerome Lipper Prize, and a BA/LLB (Honours) from the Australian National University.