This book grabbed my attention because of its title Girt. As the name of this blog shows it’s a word a rather like and think should be used more often. Surrounded is such a long word and in many (fine a few) situations girt could be used. Of course, then to anyone outside of Australia you’d need to explain to them what “girt” means, but language should be used, it’s in the Australian anthem and should be used in more places than just “Advance Australia Fair”.
I was quite surprised by Girt, by its humour and what I learnt from it.
In short it makes early Australian history funny and interesting via the characters of history.
The tone of Girt is relatively light and the footnotes make it slightly comedic. The footnotes that are on almost every page are a sort of commentary of the text itself.
Girt is also fully indexed, which was something of a surprise that it was when I reached the end. So I imagine that university students when needing something to liven up an essay about Australian history can turn to Girt to fill up their reference list.
Girt was incredibly easy to read, with each chapter easily flowing into the next and everything told in vivid and amusing detail.
From Girt I have learnt the etymology of the word ‘grog’, who Trim was and that Bligh was a bastard who no one liked.
There are excerpts from letters throughout the book that help further illustrate the people that it covers and illuminate their thoughts and psychology a bit more than the writer’s commentary provides.
Some of the history in Girt I recognised, having learnt it in the long since past history lessons in primary and high school, but Girt really brought to life the characters of Australia’s history. Whilst reading Girt I felt more like I knew the men (and occasionally women) of history that fill the book (and history) and that should anyone mention Macarthur, Bligh, Major Ross, Bass and Flinders or Macquarie something that I’ve read in Girt will be conjured in my memory.
I hope that David Hunt has plans afoot for a second volume continuing to look at Australia’s history, continuing on from where Girt finishes.