'I thought I’d be dead by the time his first book was published.'

- Betty Irvine, former neighbour, 86

Is the Pocketbook of Aussie Patriotism your first book?
Yes, this was my first book to be published. My second book, a novel, will be published by Sleepers Publishing in June 2008.

What made you choose this subject?
I think Australian history continues to be one of the great untold stories. It's an utterly compelling narrative of survival and nation building.

I thought there might be others like me who would find useful a pocket guide to Australia’s great past. My book is a starting point, a roadmap if you like.

Where did the timeline idea come from?
Timelines are simple ways of showing historical information in a clear and easy-to-read way. I was searching the Internet and came across George Courtauld’s book, The Pocketbook of Patriotism, which is about English history. I liked the idea of two concurrent timelines, where you could also see what happened around the world.

Nadine Davidoff, who was working at Black Inc at the time, suggested the chapters at the back of the book, which were a great idea. They provide useful summaries of major areas of interest.

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