The Sentimental Nation: The Making of the Australian Commonwealth / John Hirst

Author:

John Hirst

Publisher:

Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2000

Format:

Hardcover with dust jacket

Pages:

xi, 388 pages, with illustrations and portraits

ISBN:

019551424X

Condition:

Very Good – light wear to dust jacket and shelf wear to base of boards. Internally clean and tightly bound.

Description:

In The Sentimental Nation, historian John Hirst explores the emotional, cultural, and political forces that led to the federation of Australia in 1901. Departing from the conventional narrative of dry constitutional mechanics, Hirst portrays Federation as a deeply felt national movement, shaped by ideas of loyalty, mateship, and a unique Australian identity.

Drawing on vivid contemporary sources, including personal correspondence, speeches, and public debates, this is both a scholarly and accessible account of how a collection of colonies became a single Commonwealth.

Why You'll Love It:

A thoughtful, richly contextualised examination of Australian nationhood from one of the country’s most respected historians. Essential reading for students of Australian history, politics, or identity – and a valuable reference for collectors of Federation-era literature.