About the Author

Geoffrey Blainey, one of Australia s most prominent historians, held a chair at Harvard in the early 1980s and taught for many years at the University of Melbourne. He is the recipient of Australia s highest honor, Companion in the Order of Australia. He lives near Melbourne.

Reviews

A delightful read, gracefully written, and full of odd and interesting pieces of information as well as thoughtful comparisons.--William L. O'Neill, Professor of History, Rutgers University; author of "Coming Apart"

A master story teller...[the book] grips and entertains...educates and informs...to be savored and possessed, not merely read.--Roger Kimball

A unique achievement.--Jacques Barzun