'If there are genuine questions about Australian history, there is something to puzzle over. The history ceases to be predictable and dull.'<br/><br/>From the author of The Shortest History of Europe, acclaimed historian John Hirst, comes this fresh and stimulating approach to understanding Australia's past and present.<br/><br/>Hirst asks and answers questions that get to the heart of Australia's history:<br/><br/>• Why did Aborigines not take up farming?<br/><br/>• How did a penal colony change peacefully into a democratic society?<br/><br/>• Why was Australia so prosperous so early?<br/><br/>• Why did the colonies federate?<br/><br/>• What effect did convict origins have on national character?<br/><br/>• Why was the postwar migration programme such a success?<br/><br/>• Why is Australia not a republic?<br/><br/>Engaging and enjoyable, and written for the novice and the expert alike, Australian History in 7 Questions explains how we became the nation we are today.