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Writer, Historian, Controversialist

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Writer, Historian, Controversialist K Kritikos agora reviews Available online at www.htav.asn.au/curriculum/reviews critical books such as The Tyranny of and his English teacher, A.A. Phillips, Distance (1966), Triumph of the Nomads who coined the phrase ‘the cultural (1975) and the All for Australia speech cringe’. Phillips in particular, with (1984) that gave him his reputation his snappy and memorable phrases, as ‘a controversial’ and ‘conservative seems to have inspired Blainey’s own historian’ sparking ‘one of the most memorable quotes: ‘the tyranny of heated political controversies in distance’ and ‘the black armband Australian history’ (p. 140). However, of history.’ It’s interesting to note, Allsop undermines this predominate too, that ‘many of Australia’s most view of Blainey being a conservative, prominent historians had fathers who right wing historian where ‘Blainey’s were ministers of religion’ (Allsop, historical writing, both in method p. 2). Notable among these are Keith and outlook, has been far from Hancock and Manning Clark, who are conservative’ (Allsop, blurb). also frequently aligned with Blainey in ,the conservative historians’ camp.’ The layout of the chapters moves from the introduction, where Allsop gets Allsop continues to show the many to the heart of Blainey’s reputation different mantles Blainey takes on as a as ‘controversial,’ and then goes onto historian, from ‘freelance’ to ‘academic’ show that this view of him undermines to ‘progressive,’ where his roadblock Geoffrey Blainey: him as a great historian who did not became his ‘Immigration Controversy’ prescribe to any historical school of speech, which forced Blainey to resign Writer, Historian, thought but rather was someone who from his position at The University of was balanced, progressive and unique Melbourne and become a ‘freelance Controversialist in his historical methodology and historian’ again while constantly being writing style. labelled as ‘the controversialist.’ By Richard Allsop Allsop is an engaging storyteller It is also crucial to note that Blainey 2019 whose narrative of Blainey’s life was had a crucial role to play in the Monash University Publishing interesting and kept me intrigued. History Wars with Stuart McIntyre 304 pages A key example of this is when Allsop and Anna Clark, who were labelled Reviewed by Sophia Marsden-Smith begins his first chapter on Blainey, by Blainey as wearing ‘the black Williamstown High School ‘Early Influences,’ with the words: armband of history’ while the ‘Geoffrey Blainey could have easily aforementioned historians retaliated, died when he was just a few weeks accusing Blainey, Clark and Hancock This is an insightful, meticulously old.’ This is an immediate narrative as all wearing ‘the white blindfold of researched and thorough biography hook that engages the reader. history.’ Allsop then moves to perfectly of the renowned Australian historian, summarise Blainey’s prevalence as The first chapter also pinpoints the Geoffrey Blainey. Author Richard both an ‘Australian historian’ and people who were key influences Allsop explores the life and career ‘world historian’ in the conclusion of for Blainey: his father Clifford, a of one of Australia’s most renowned, the book. influential and controversialMethodist minister; his mother, historians: Geoffrey Blainey. I Hilda; and his teachers at Wesley This book is an interesting read that thoroughly enjoyed reading this College, specifically his History will help teachers and students of biography and the detailed research teacher, ‘Mr Gwillim, whose head VCE Australian History understand in footnoted Chicago 16th referencing was a filing cabinet full of quotations,’ Blainey’s role as a pre-eminent style, which documented Blainey’s (Aiton ‘10 Things’ cited in Allsop, p. 9) Australian historian. (2020) agora.
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