It is difficult for a reviewer to do justice to this enchanting book. But if one were looking for something to give to an Australian to help him better understand the history, traditions, literature, environment, and folklore of his country – or if one wished to help a visitor to Australia to an appreciation of all those circumstances from 1788 to the present day which have shaped the characters and characteristics of those who inhabit this vast continent, then this book is it.

Anne Fairbairn's method is as simple as it is effective. She has devised a three-line poem, a sort of haiku, if you like, with an Aboriginal title to introduce each of the hundreds of small sections of her book – fitting these within her master-plan of five parts: The Outback, The Sea, The Sky, Early Settlers and The City.