The Story Of Australia

The Story of Australia (1983) by A.G.L. Shaw. Faber and Faber. ISBN: 0571180744. Condition: Good — and ex-library, as sold by Crappy Old Books, meaning it comes with that special patina of public service: a few stamps, a label, possibly the faint aura of a thousand earnest readers silently thinking, “Right then, let’s understand Australia properly.”

This is the kind of book that promises something enormous in the calmest possible voice. The Story of Australia. Not “Some Thoughts About Australia,” not “A Brief Chat,” but the story — as if a continent can be neatly gathered up, dusted off, and presented between two covers like a well-behaved pet. Which, if you know anything about Australia, is already hilarious.

A.G.L. Shaw gives you history with the reassuring firmness of a lecturer who has seen it all: exploration, colonisation, government, gold rushes, wars, politics, economy, society — the whole sprawling saga, from the ancient depths of Indigenous Australia through to the modern nation-state. It’s panoramic without being silly, and clear without being patronising. Shaw writes like someone determined to keep the narrative moving, even when the subject insists on being complicated (which it does, repeatedly).

And because it’s Faber and Faber, there’s a certain properness to it all. This is not the “wild outback yarn” version of Australia, where everyone is wrestling crocodiles between chapters. This is the Australia of decisions, consequences, migrations, disputes, policies, and moments when the country quietly reinvented itself while Britain and the rest of the world were busy doing other things. The tone is measured, which makes the underlying drama — the clashes, the upheavals, the scale — land even harder.

The ex-library status is a bonus feature. You’re not just buying a book; you’re adopting a former civil servant. It has done its duty. It has sat on shelves waiting for someone to learn about federation, settlement patterns, political shifts, and the awkward fact that “national stories” are rarely as tidy as the title suggests. It may have a pocket, stamps, or catalogue markings — the book’s little resume of having been borrowed, returned, shelved, and borrowed again.

In Good condition, it’s perfectly readable and ready for another round. Ideal for anyone who wants a solid, sensible overview — students, travellers who’d like a bit more context than “Sydney’s nice,” or armchair historians who enjoy the slow realisation that Australia’s history is far more than beaches, convict ships, and the occasional heroic sheep.

Buy it if you want the big picture.
Buy it if you like history written with calm authority.
Buy it if you enjoy the small thrill of owning a book that once belonged to everyone.

Because if you’re going to tackle a continent’s worth of past, you may as well do it with a dependable guide — and a few library stamps to prove it’s already passed inspection.

Keep browsing: See more History books Other books by AGL Shaw