c1910 Foster Fraser's Fallacies Antique Australian History Book Gordon & Gotch

The volume brings together a wide-ranging selection of essays addressing many of the major questions confronting the young Commonwealth. Topics include Australian nationalism, Imperial Federation, immigration, labour, journalism, literature, education, democracy, social reform, and the character of the Australian bush. Written in a lively and often provocative style, Nelson combines humour, political commentary, and personal observation to examine what he believed made Australia distinct among the nations of the British Empire. The essays provide a fascinating contemporary perspective on Australian identity during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Today the work is valued both as a collection of Australian essays and as a primary source documenting public debate in the immediate post-Federation era. Nelson, a prominent Labor figure, newspaper editor, and noted public speaker, brought considerable experience and conviction to his writing, producing a volume that remains an engaging reflection of Australian political and cultural thought at a formative period in the nation's history. Preserved in its original illustrated card covers, the book is an increasingly uncommon survival of early Australian social and political commentary."