Australian history, too often the victim of dull school curricula or ideological posturing, has not always been a popular subject. The Australian Century, a collection of nine essays, is an optimistic enterprise aiming to redress this and map where Australia has come in its first century of federation. Its distinguished contributors include former Australian editor Paul Kelly, and Robert Manne, former editor of Quadrant magazine (and author of The Culture of Forgetting). As well as contributing a compelling account of the Whitlam government, Manne, as editor, has ensured all of the essays are extremely readable and of a high standard. With the referendum on the republic due in November, such thoughtful and independent reflections on Australian political history are timely. The origins and evolution of republican sentiment are examined in two of the essays, whilst other essayists present interesting analyses of other contemporary issues, such as globalisation and the Aboriginal rights movement. Manne's refreshingly undogmatic views are reflected in The Australian Century by measured fairness in assessing the political events of the past. This in turn gives the work some of its authority, although at times tact shades into frustrating evasiveness. Nevertheless, The Australian Century is an engaging guide through a period of history that I'm sure even the best of us have occasionally snoozed through.

Garth Crawford is a Canberra-based freelance reviewer. 

C. 1999 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

Tags: robert manne