Annear explores here a fascinating subject, an incident seemingly of little account when compared to world conflict standards, but which many Australians have claimed marks the beginnings of an Australian style of democracy. Annear concludes, 'After Eureka, ordinary people began to have more of a say in how things were run. Australia grew into a different, freer kind of place. There was a feeling that you could change things by taking a stand. People call it the Eureka spirit'.
The facts of events preceding and following the battle are set out chronologically together with short narrative pieces ('What if you were there...'—some of the characters in these are real and others made up) and responses from onlookers and key characters. There are photographs and reproductions, a timeline, glossary, web sites (with annotations) and index.
Like the first in this series, the very fine book about Ned Kelly, Black Snake, this is accessible to readers as young as nine years but provoking ideas that will engage older secondary students. Highly recommended as a book to encourage children to really care about Australian history and respond to the excitement of past events.

http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/rel/history/book.php?catrelid=1824
(from Curriculum Corporation) ( )

Annear takes both sides of the Eureka story and using primary sources as quotes on each page and pictures of the main areas of battle and of the main figures, asks the young reader to make up their own mind. Interspersed with small stories written from the point of view of one of the people at the time…a miner, a soldier, a commander, a shop keeper. An interesting and lively read. ( )