Roots

One of the great observers of Australian life Henry Lawson looms large in our national psyche. Yet at his best Lawson transcends the very bush the very outback the very upcountry the very pub or selectors hut he conveys with such brevity and acuity he make specific places universal. Henry Lawson is too often regarded as a legend rather than a writer to be enjoyed. In this selection Lawson is revealed as an author whose delightful humorous wry and moving short stories continue to delight generations of readers. This is the essential Lawson collection the classic of Australian classics. Lawsons sketches are beyond praise.Joseph Conrad Lawson gets more feelings observation and atmosphere into a page than does Hemingway.Edward Garnett