Join Books.org — it's free

Australian History, Australian & Oceanic Studies, World Politics, Politics & Government - General & Miscellaneous, National Characteristics, Constitutional Law
To Constitute a Nation by Helen Irving β€” book cover

To Constitute a Nation

by Helen Irving
Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Log in to track your reading progress.

Overview

This imaginative and resonant book looks at the constitution as a cultural artifact. Irving looks beyond the well-known events, places and figures to locate federation and the constitution in the context of broader social, political and cultural changes. Despite its paradoxical construction, there is something uniquely Australian about the constitution, and it marked a utopian moment as the old century gave way to the new. Irving analyzes the background and outcomes of the recent Constitutional Convention and considers its significance for Australia's future. A new chapter covers the development of the constitution in the twentieth century.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

From the Publisher

"The book brings out the voices of minorities and women and the flavor of the times." Choice

"This is a challenging and suggestive book. The analysis is intelligent and imaginative, the prose elegant and engaging." Bruce Scates, American Historical Review

"This is a wise and thoughtful book about a much explored process and its resulting document, and it is a tribute to her historical acumen that Irving is so persuasive in her interpretation." Pacific Affairs

Book Details

Published
June 13, 1999
Publisher
Cambridge, ; Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Pages
257
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780521668972

More by Helen Irving

Similar books