{"title":"John Hirst","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Hirst\u003c\/strong\u003e offers insightful explorations into history with a focus on Australia's political and social evolution. His works blend accessible scholarship with thoughtful analysis, inviting readers to reconsider familiar narratives through a nuanced lens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the development of Australian democracy to broader continental histories, Hirst’s writing captivates those interested in the complexities of historical change. Expect carefully crafted narratives that illuminate the forces shaping past and present societies.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-shortest-history-of-europe-by-john-hirst-9781863955652","title":"The Shortest History of Europe","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCelebrated historian John Hirst offers a fascinating exploration of the qualities that made Europe a world-changing civilisation. \u003cem\u003eThe Shortest History of Europe\u003c\/em\u003e begins with a rapid overview of European civilisation, describing its birth from an unlikely mixture of classical learning, Christianity, and German warrior culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOver the centuries, this unstable blend produced highly distinctive characters—pious knights and belligerent popes, romantics spouting folklore, and revolutionaries imitating Rome—and its coming apart provided the dynamic of European history in modern times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAccompanied by lively illustrations, \u003cem\u003eThe Shortest History of Europe\u003c\/em\u003e is a clear, humorous, and thought-provoking account of a remarkable civilisation. This new edition brings the story into the present, covering the world wars and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46337822032108,"sku":"9781863955652","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17769233482851.jpg?v=1743720929"},{"product_id":"john-hirst-by-john-hirst-9781760645748","title":"John Hirst","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA historian like no other, John Hirst captured what is distinctive about Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Hirst was one of Australia's most original and substantial historians. He changed views of many aspects of the nation's history, including the early days of the British colony, the advent of democracy, and the forging of Federation. He had a sociological imagination of great power, and the historian's gift of synthesising vast amounts of material and seeing new patterns and meanings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis volume selects the cream of Hirst's historical essays, as well as key excerpts from his books. It contains three overviews of his work, by Frank Bongiorno, Robert Manne, and Alex McDermott. It shows how his writing allows us to understand Australia's past, present, and future in fresh ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46655295783148,"sku":"9781760645748","price":41.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781760645748.jpg?v=1752466821"},{"product_id":"australias-democracy-by-john-hirst-9781865088457","title":"Australia's Democracy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work explores what sort of democracy Australians have made. It traces the establishing of democratic rights and freedoms from convict times until the present; from the era when racism limited political rights to today's concern that everyone's human rights be respected; from the demand that governments be free to carry out the people's wishes to the current desire to see all government power checked and controlled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt also examines notable Australian innovations like the secret ballot and the basic wage. The book goes on to examine the oddities of Australia's democratic society — where there has been strong opposition to military conscription, but not to compulsory voting; where egalitarianism has not led to a universal welfare system nor prohibited the growth of private schools; where politicians have been held in contempt but governments have been omni-competent and efficient; where the people have been scornful of British snobbishness, but loyal to a British monarch; where men have been keen about mateship, leaving women to take citizenship seriously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by one of Australia's most noted historians, with a compelling eye for the human story in history, \u003cem\u003eAustralia's Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e is intended to bring the history of Australia's democracy to life in a lucid, entertaining and vivid way for students of history and for general readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House South Africa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47602813599980,"sku":"9781865088457","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781865088457-australia-s-democracy.jpg?v=1778047540"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/john-hirst.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}