Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia in 1770. Barry Humphries rediscovered it in the 1950s. His dazzling insights into the eccentricities of Australian behaviour have made him a household name. Here, in his brilliantly original and unique way, he uncovers Australia's popular culture. Barry Humphries is unquestionably Australia's most talented comic and satirist, and the country's most popular export -- other than those that come in cans. Here, together with his many world renowned characters -- including Sir Les Paterson and Dame Edna Everage -- he takes a unique look at the people, events and popular culture of Australia since the 1950s, and demonstrates a keen understanding of Australian language and manners and the image of Australians abroad. He reveals how in just one generation the country has changed from one of the dullest on earth to one of the liveliest. Flashbacks is an entertaining, irreverent and highly visual look at Australian life, featuring interviews with celebrity Australians like Clive James and Kathy Lette. The people, the events, the fads and fashions and the music that have defined Australia...all is revealed to explain the way that the country has been shaped. All this, and more, is packed into this colourful illustrated book. It is not a history: it is an entertainment -- personal, quirky, opinionated and fun.

Barry Humphries' television career began in the 70s and he has since become a household name, particularly through his extraordinary characters Les Paterson and Edna Everage. His list of credits for TV and live performances is extensive. Suffice to say he has been voted UK Television Personality of the Year (1990) and celebrated by the South Bank Show in 1992. His 1992 autobiography was a bestseller. Current projects include plans for a new theatre tour of the UK and Australia, featuring Sir Les hosting a retrospective on the life and times of Dame Edna.