The Lucky Country

Donald Horne’s personal copy of his influential work

The Lucky Country

Australia is a lucky country run mainly by secondirate people who share its luck.

 Published in December 1964, The lucky country sold 18,000 in nine days and was immediately reprinted. It sold 40,000 copies in the next year. British and American editions were quickly produced. It has continued to sell. It has been prescribed for school and university courses and is now one of the classic Australian works of non-fiction.

The phrase, ‘the lucky country’, which Horne meant ironically, quickly entered the language and was invariably used with precisely the opposite meaning to that intended by Horne. Following publication, we were forever congratulating ourselves on being ‘the lucky country’—and still are.

This copy was Horne’s own copy of the first edition and was presented by him to the Library. A first edition that sells rapidly is rare in libraries as, by the time institutional orders are filled, the first edition has often sold out and only the second edition is available.
Display item The Lucky Country

 

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