In this collection of contemporary essays, contributors in history, cultural studies, and Australian studies explore the role of literature in the political and cultural life of Australia,
looking at fiction, films, cartoons, and songs from popular and high culture of the past 77 years. The essays are presented chronologically from 1935 to 2012; each year offers one to two
essays. The seemingly haphazard juxtaposition of subjects is intentional: Horrie the Wog-Dog, war mascot of the Australian desert troops, is paired with Patrick White, Nobel Prize laureate for
literature. A list of essays grouped by 50 themes presents possible pathways through the book. There are nine color photos and color illustrations from children’s books, plus about 30 b&w
photos of authors, locations, book jackets, and film stills. Dalziell is affiliated with the University of Western Australia. Genoni is affiliated with Curtin University. Distributed in the US
by IBS. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
