An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna

Judges' comments

This is an extremely well-written, deeply researched and beautifully presented account of the public and private lives of the prominent Australian historian, Manning Clark. It ranks with the very best biographies written at the national and international level over recent decades. McKenna deals with his subject with a delicate balance, revealing Clark with all his intellectual strengths and moral weaknesses. His portrait of Clark’s wife, Dymphna, reveals a sensitive and intelligent woman, as well as a person marked by forbearance and courage.

One of the great strengths of this book is its use of evidence, for McKenna is keenly aware that Clark left signposted sources pointing to particular interpretations of his life and work. This biographer is too sharp an historian to fall into that trap. The other strength of this biography is the manner in which it locates Clark’s life and writings within a complex and evolving cultural context. McKenna argues persuasively that Clark was a poor historian but, nevertheless, an influential and articulate champion of Australian culture and identity.