Girt
Educational
Witty
Playful

Girt The Unauthorised History of Australia

David Hunt2013
Girt. No word could better capture the essence of Australia ... In this hilarious history, David Hunt reveals the truth of Australia's past, from megafauna to Macquarie - the cock-ups and curiosities, the forgotten eccentrics and Eureka moments that have made us who we are. Girt introduces forgotten heroes like Mary McLoghlin, transported for the crime of "felony of sock," and Trim the cat, who beat a French monkey to become the first animal to circumnavigate Australia. It recounts the misfortunes of the escaped Irish convicts who set out to walk from Sydney to China, guided only by a hand-drawn paper compass, and explains the role of the coconut in Australia's only military coup. Our nation's beginnings are steeped in the strange, the ridiculous and the frankly bizarre. Girt proudly reclaims these stories for all of us. Not to read it would be un-Australian "A sneaky, sometimes shocking peek under the dirty rug of Australian history." - John Birmingham "Hilarious and insightful -- Hunt has found the deep wells of humour in Australia's history." - Chris Taylor, The Chaser
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Reviews

Photo of Danu Poyner
Danu Poyner@danupoyner
4 stars
Jul 30, 2021
Photo of Jaclyn Rye
Jaclyn Rye@jackierabbit
3.5 stars
Apr 1, 2023
Witty
Playful
Educational
Photo of Orion James Mitchell
Orion James Mitchell @orion-james-mitchell
5 stars
Jan 24, 2023
Photo of Kathy Rodger
Kathy Rodger @bookatnz
3 stars
Apr 20, 2022
Photo of Josh Clement
Josh Clement@joshclement
3 stars
Mar 16, 2022