John 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.

This 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.