Rhyming verse at its best is great literature - but its primary purpose is to entertain. AN AUStRALIAN HERItAGE OF VERSE showcases 300 of the most entertaining poems ever written, capturing our musings from the First Fleet right up to the turn of the millennium. the best of 'the Banjo', Henry Lawson, Will Ogilvie and 'the Breaker' complement contemporary poets such as ted Egan, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Colin Wilson, Bruce Simpson and Denis Kevans. AN AUStRALIAN HERItAGE OF VERSE is an enthralling anthology for reading, reciting, performing and listening. Here, collected in one volume for the first time, are the new bush poets, the old favourites, many pleasant surprises and a host of rediscovered treasures. From bullock drays to chain saws, from Phar Lap to mini skirts, from Clancy of the Overflow to Dawn Fraser, and from convicts to space travel - our nation's stories are documented in a social commentary spanning three centuries. You will laugh a lot, cry a bit, and revel in our unique character. If there's only one Australian book on your bookshelf, it should be this one.