Winner of the Ernest Scott Prize, The Art of Time Travel is Tom Griffiths's acclaimed exploration of the craft of history and the historians who have shaped our understanding of Australia's past.

No matter how practised we are at history, it always humbles us. No matter how often we visit the past, it always surprises us. Winner of the Ernest Scott Prize and Shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literary Award for Non-fiction 'A rare feat of imagination and generosity' -Mark McKenna With every sentence they write, historians must walk the tightrope between discipline and imagination, empathy and evidence. In this landmark work, eminent historian and award-winning author Tom Griffiths shares his passion for the fascinating, complex craft of history - or, as he calls it, the art of time travel. In fourteen portraits, Griffiths illuminates how historians such as Inga Clendinnen, Judith Wright, Geoffrey Blainey and Henry Reynolds have approached their craft. In prose both earthy and elegant, he shows the new insights they have brought to Australian history, and in so doing reshapes our shared knowledge of this continent. The Art of Time Travel is an exhilarating book that will forever change the way you think of Australia's past. 'If the past is a foreign country, Tom Griffiths makes the perfect travelling companion. Let him be your eyes and ears on our shared history. Most of all, follow his heart.' -Clare Wright

Details

ISBN13: 9781760646516
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 384
Edition:
Publication Date: 11 Aug 2026
Publisher: Black Inc.
Publication City, Country: Melbourne, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 23.3(H)x15.4(L)x2.5(W)482
Weight (gm): 482

Author Biography

Tom Griffiths is Emeritus Professor of History at the Australian National University. His books include The Art of Time Travel: Historians and Their Craft and Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica. His writing has won prizes in literature, history, science, politics and journalism, including the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History, the Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate and the Douglas Stewart and Nettie Palmer Prizes for Non-Fiction. His forthcoming book is Alice's dreaming.

Reviews

'Greatly enriches our understanding of Australia past and present ... the book teems with fresh insights. Griffiths poses searching questions, which yield illuminating and often exhilarating answers.' -Ken Inglis AO

'Events happen, but history doesn't write itself. By exploring the intellectual and emotional backstories of fourteen people who have crafted Australian history, Tom Griffiths shows how and why it is done. In the process, he has created a beautiful work of history.' -Julianne Schultz AM

'A rare feat of imagination and generosity. No other historian has so eloquently and powerfully conveyed history's allure. The Art of Time Travel will remain relevant for decades to come.' -Mark McKenna

'Griffiths' luminous new work underlines the inarguable point that if we are truly to understand our history, we must get to know those who wrote it. A must-read for anyone interested in Australia's past.' -Tim Flannery

'The Art of Time Travel should be in every school and library. I would design a senior history course out of it. In fact, I'd tell all students, no matter their disciplines, that if they were to imagine "the epic poem" of Australia, "the truest of histories", they might start with this book.' -The Monthly