Sons Of The Southern Cross

by Grantlee Kieza

From Eureka to Ned Kelly, from Gallipoli to the birth of the ALP to the Cronulla riots, the Southern Cross flag has been the symbol for a rebellious Australian spirit. Here, the good, bad and the ugly stories of a succession of renegades. Ever since it was launched in the minefields of Victoria the Southern Cross flag has been a symbol for a rebellious Australian spirit - from the battles of Eureka to those of Ned Kelly, from the birth of the Labor Party to the Anzacs at Galliopoli. the men and women involved took the flag as their symbol. But as much as it became a metaphor for anti-establishment heroics, the flag also had a darker side; xenophobia, racism, intolerance and violence. Grantlee Kieza tells the story of the flag through the stories of the people who fought under it, the miners, the soldiers, the bushrangers, the journalists and politicians, who shaped Australia. He takes readers from the slums of Ireland to the goldfields of Victoria, and then on to the courtrooms, pubs and hideouts where revolutions were hatched. through the raw and impassioned characters trying to make a life in a new nation, he brings Australia's renegade history vividly to life.

Genres: History

550 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[David Dash · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on rivetting Australian history

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book that I would normally read but so interesting. I have to say I learnt a lot from it about different historical events that I haven't thought of looking into before. Mum was a huge fan of Australian history and I will try to read more of it from now on.

[Craig Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Australians, we think we know what the 'Southern cross" flag represents, but do we really? There is so much more to the story of this flag and what it means to different people. This book traces the origins of the flag from it's birth at the Eureka diggings to it's use by unions, racists and beyond, and tells the story of it's complex meanings. Thoroughly recommend this book as a must read for anyone interested in Australian history.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. Five stars.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the stories of the gold rush, Eureka Stockade, Ned Kelly and other key events in Australian history are familiar to virtually all Australians, what author Grantlee Kieza has cleverly done is link them under the unifying link of the flag of The Southern Cross, as well chronologically put the Kelly Gang into the context of other key events of the day. It makes you aware of how the political unfairness that caused the miners' Ballarat uprising' also contributed to the emergence of Kelly gang. Other events that are described as key turning points in Australia's history are the shearer's strike and the landing at Gallipoli in World War 1. Although this is probably not Kieza's best, there is a freshness in the description of these familiar events that makes it an adsorbing book to read.

[David Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like much of Kieza's stuff this is quite readable (with one quibble * below). He took a premise about the Southern Cross and ran with it, attempting to detail the way the symbol has been adopted and distorted throughout its history. At times he attempted to manufacture links, specifically in relation to Irish immigration, which failed to meet the artificial parameters he tried to employ. The Irish were as disparate as any other nationality and to lump them all into one amorphous heap does neither them nor the book any great service.

*Still, it is a solid four stars, that may have been higher but for his annoying habit of using the present tense. If I ran creative writing classes I would expel any Damon Runyon would-be-if-they-could-be. Such a conceit is distracting.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably closer to 3.5 stars. And would have been 4 stars but for some of the sections which I found a bit plodding, weighed down by too many names and dates and facts. But still, an informative and insightful read, and one that has given me greater insight into the mythos of our fledgling nation.