The Shortest History of Australia

From one of Australia’s leading historians, the compelling story of a singular nation still realizing its independence and influence on the global stage

As a land associated with extremes—from remote desert terrain to some of the world’s deadliest creatures—few countries feel as geographically and culturally independent as Australia.

While pop-culture references to endless summers proliferate, it’s the lesser-acknowledged eras of Australian history that contribute to a complex and still-evolving definition of nationhood: settlements and expansions, indigenous rights movements, and contemporary environmental challenges among them.

Sharp and of-the-moment, The Shortest History of Australia reveals surprising nuances in the familiar national narrative. Historian and professor Mark McKenna’s concise, compelling account paints a portrait of a country still learning the extent of its political independence, reckoning with its past, and looking toward an ever-shifting future of politics, identity, and influence.