The Slab

Praise for The Slab

"History as it should be written. With beer. About beer. Crisp. Refreshing. Won't cause bloat."

John Birmingham, author of Leviathan



"I thought I'd been asked to review Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap and was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading about beer. The Slab is a full-bodied book, with a fruity aftertaste and a nose that carries the slightest hint of sawdust and vomit. I suggest you XXXX it."

David Hunt, author of Girt



"The Slab is less a historical document, more a rollicking ride through a bizarrely untapped part of an openly beer worshipping nation's past. That's not to say you won't learn anything; you will - and about much more than beer. But you'll also walk away infused with the sheer joy that Glen has clearly poured into every - and I mean every - page."

James Smith, The Crafty Pint



Beer. You know it and, chances are, you love it. But you might not know the part beer has played in Australian history. Right from the start beer was there. It was on board The Endeavour when Captain Cook set sail for Australia.

It was drunk not long after the First Fleet landed in Botany Bay. It was there when World War I soldiers got a skinful and ran riot in the streets of Sydney. It was there in World War II when soldiers did it again, this time in Brisbane. It was there during the era of six o'clock closing where people were still drinking it long after the little hand had passed the six.

It was even there when it really shouldn't have been - when Canberra declared itself an alcohol-free zone. What? You didn't know the nation's capital used to be dry? Well, then you probably need to read this book by award-winning beer writer Glen Humphries. As a bonus, you'll also find out just what the hell Voltron has to do with Victoria Bitter.