Combining impressive historical research with pithy prose, this entertaining work chronicles Australia's evolution from British lackey during World War II to global power player in the 21st century. Appealing to academic audiences and armchair historians alike, this volume focuses on Australia's shift from political and economic reliance on England to becoming politically aligned with the United States and economically tethered to Japan and China, a transition in part initiated by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. With chapters entitled "Beating the Bolshoi," "All the Way with JFK," and "The Banana Republic," this concise history of modern Australia is written in a style both delightful and informative.