Girt

The Unauthorised History of Australia, Volume 1

By: David Hunt

Narrated by: David Hunt

Girt. No word could better capture the essence of Australia....

In this hilarious history, David Hunt reveals the truth of Australia's past, from megafauna to Macquarie - the cock-ups and curiosities, the forgotten eccentrics and Eureka moments that have made us who we are.

Girt introduces forgotten heroes like Mary McLoghlin, transported for the crime of "felony of sock", and Trim the cat, who beat a French monkey to become the first animal to circumnavigate Australia.

It recounts the misfortunes of the escaped Irish convicts who set out to walk from Sydney to China, guided only by a hand-drawn paper compass, and explains the role of the coconut in Australia's only military coup.

Our nation's beginnings are steeped in the strange, the ridiculous, and the frankly bizarre. Girt proudly reclaims these stories for all of us.

Not to listen to it would be un-Australian.

©2013 David Hunt (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"A sneaky, sometimes shocking peek under the dirty rug of Australian history." (John Birmingham)
"Hilarious and insightful - Hunt has found the deep wells of humour in Australia's history." (Chris Taylor, The Chaser)

Could have been so much better...

This would have been a great bok if the author had not been the narrator. His mispronunciations I found iritating. The sound of a cracking whip to denote a footnote was another grating noise. I did not finish the book as all of this became too much of a distraction.

Pretty funny but a bit over-acted.

Four stars. Pretty funny but a bit over-acted. It's the satirical version of David Hill's books, which I enjoyed much more than this one.

History Girt With Wit

A memorable bit of history told with earnest irreverence and a hearty gift for a well-told yarn. Sprinkled throughout with jabs and eye-pokes for everyone! Right up there (and you know where!) with “1066 And All That” and other modern should-be classics.

Interesting view of history

Interesting summarization of the country’s beginnings described with humor and sarcasm. That’s some good history!

Seriously irritating voice. Can I get a refund?

For the first time ever I just couldn't listen. Regular narration voice is OK but the awful voices used for quotes drove me over the edge. Traveling to AU soon so will try the book in print. Love love audio books. Just not this one.