A collection of outstanding and well-regarded Australian speeches, 1850-2010. If Aussie rhetoric is known as laconic, sparing in adverbs with frequent hints of hilarity or sarcastic mirth, this aggregation of primary material sheds little light on the worldview that produces such communication. The book is organized by topic — nationhood, war, political and sociocultural debate, etc. — with useful (but sometimes presumptive) intros. A memento of our recent trip there.